{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T05:37:03Z","timestamp":1771479423547,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,22]],"date-time":"2024-10-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1729555200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Drug-related problems (DRPs) significantly threaten the safety of the elderly. In order to improve pharmacists\u2019 ability to minimize these events, novel educational interventions that consider the current challenges in clinical practice are crucial.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The primary objective is to assess the impact of two unique educational interventions on pharmacists\u2019 ability to identify DRPs.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>A total of 127 community pharmacies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were recruited and randomly allocated to one of three arms using a 1:1:1 allocation ratio. While a series of clinical case scenarios (N = 24) related to elderly care were established and validated and sent to pharmacists in Active Group A over a 3-month period, lengthy research articles focused on medication safety in elderly were emailed to pharmacists in Active Group B. The control group pharmacist received no intervention. Then, pharmacists self-reported the number, categories, and severity of DRPs and pharmacist recommendations.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The incidence of DRPs identified by pharmacists was 10.8% in Active Group A, 2.0% in the Control Group (p = 0.011), and 3.8% in Active Group B (p = 0.014). A significant difference was observed in the proportion of DRP types between Active Group A and the Control Group. The most common DRPs in Active Group A were avoidable medication (14.7%) and untreated disease (9.2%). Pharmacists in Active Group A (37.2%) and Active Group B (32.3%) most commonly intervened by recommending the cessation of medication, while the most common intervention in the Control Group was recommending a decrease in dose (29.8%). The mean cost reduction per patient was highest in Active Group A (31.3 \u00b111.8 $), followed by Active Group B (20.8 \u00b18.6 $) and the Control Group (19.6 \u00b19.5 $). The mean time needed to resolve a DRP was shortest in Active Group A (7.3 \u00b13.5 minutes), followed by Active Group B (9.8 \u00b14.2 minutes) and the Control Group (9.8 \u00b15.7 minutes).<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec005\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Using WhatsApp to deliver clinical scenarios was effective in improving pharmacists\u2019 ability to identify and address DRPs in elderly patients, resulting in faster resolution and higher cost savings.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0308448","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,22]],"date-time":"2024-10-22T17:30:12Z","timestamp":1729618212000},"page":"e0308448","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Randomized controlled trial parallel-group on optimizing community pharmacist\u2019s care for the elderly: The influence of WhatsApp-Email delivered clinical case scenarios"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Osama","family":"Mohamed Ibrahim","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nadia","family":"Al Mazrouei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"A. A.","family":"Elnour","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rana","family":"Ibrahim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Derar","family":"H. Abdel-Qader","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rowida","family":"Mohamed El Amin Ibrahim Hamid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4431-0196","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Vineetha","family":"Menon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3524-4825","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Ali Awadallah","family":"Saeed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sami","family":"Fatehi Abdalla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fahad","family":"T. Alsulami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yousef Saeed","family":"Alqarni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Abuelnor","family":"Mohammed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,22]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308448.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1007\/s11096-015-0199-8","article-title":"Clinical medication reviews in elderly patients with polypharmacy: a cross-sectional study on drug-related problems in the Netherlands","volume":"38","author":"SH Chau","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int J Clin Pharm"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0308448.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e14563","DOI":"10.1111\/ijcp.14563","article-title":"An emergency plan for management of COVID-19 patients in rural areas","volume":"75","author":"AZ Al Meslamani","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Clin Pract"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0308448.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"559","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clinthera.2020.02.005","article-title":"Drug-related Problems in Home-dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review","volume":"42","author":"AI Pl\u00e1cido","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin Ther"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308448.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.1186\/s12877-020-1413-7","article-title":"Drug related problems in admitted geriatric patients: the impact of clinical pharmacist interventions","volume":"20","author":"BY Hailu","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Geriatr"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308448.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2125.2003.02007.x","article-title":"Age-related changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics: basic principles and practical applications","volume":"57","author":"AA Mangoni","year":"2004","journal-title":"Br J Clin Pharmacol"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308448.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.1007\/s40801-020-00219-2","article-title":"Prevalence and Associated Factors of Drug-Related Problems Among Older People: A Cross-Sectional Study at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok","volume":"8","author":"A Paisansirikul","year":"2021","journal-title":"Drugs Real World Outcomes"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref007","article-title":"The evolving role of community pharmacists during COVID-19 in the UAE; assessing preparedness and knowledge","author":"N Al Mazrouei","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Pharm Pract"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308448.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.51847\/cZFM36e","article-title":"Pharmacy students\u2019 knowledge and attitude of prescribing errors","volume":"11","author":"AZ Al Meslamani","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Adv Pharm Educ Res"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref009","article-title":"A novel educational approach for improving medication-related problems in community pharmacies","author":"N Al Mazrouei","year":"2021","journal-title":"Res Soc Adm Pharm"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0308448.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2625","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sapharm.2021.05.003","article-title":"A pharmacist\u2019s unique opportunity within a multidisciplinary team to reduce drug-related problems for older adults in an intermediate care setting","volume":"18","author":"A Byrne","year":"2022","journal-title":"Res Soc Adm Pharm"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0308448.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"437","DOI":"10.1177\/00185787231158777","article-title":"The Abuse and Misuse of Over-the-Counter Medicines During COVID-19","volume":"58","author":"AZ Al Meslamani","year":"2023","journal-title":"Hosp Pharm"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"279","DOI":"10.1186\/s12909-019-1706-8","article-title":"The role of WhatsApp\u00ae in medical education; a scoping review and instructional design model","volume":"19","author":"Coleman E","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMC Med Educ"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0308448.ref013","first-page":"e2820","article-title":"Impact of Research Educational Intervention on Knowledge, Attitudes, Perceptions, and Pharmacy Practices Towards Evidence-based Medicine Among Junior Pharmacists","volume":"10","author":"RA Bahmaid","year":"2018","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.18311\/mvpjms\/0\/v0\/i0\/8454","article-title":"Effectivity of E-Learning through Whatsapp as a Teaching Learning Tool","volume":"4","author":"S Gon","year":"2017","journal-title":"MVP J Med Sci"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"503","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sapharm.2019.06.019","article-title":"Exploring the use of WhatsApp in out-of-hours pharmacy services: A multi-site qualitative study","volume":"16","author":"AP Rathbone","year":"2020","journal-title":"Res Soc Adm Pharm"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.5455\/aim.2019.27.133-138","article-title":"Use of Smart Phones and Social Media in Medical Education: Trends, Advantages, Challenges and Barriers","volume":"27","author":"MZ Latif","year":"2019","journal-title":"Acta Inform Med"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1186\/s12909-017-0855-x","article-title":"WhatsApp messenger as a tool to supplement medical education for medical students on clinical attachment","volume":"17","author":"L Raiman","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMC Med Educ"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e12403","DOI":"10.2196\/12403","article-title":"Augmenting Flexnerism Via Twitterism: Need for Integrating Social Media Application in Blueprinting Pedagogical Strategies for Undergraduate Medical Education","volume":"5","author":"Y Banerjee","year":"2019","journal-title":"JMIR Med Educ"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref019","article-title":"Medical Statistics: A Textbook for the Health Sciences, 5th Edition","author":"J Stephen","year":"2007","journal-title":"Wiley-"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0308448.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"142","DOI":"10.7861\/clinmedicine.16-2-142","article-title":"Writing clinical scenarios for clinical science questions","volume":"16","author":"PE Smith","year":"2016","journal-title":"Clin Med"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0308448.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e290","DOI":"10.1016\/S2666-7568(21)00054-4","article-title":"Polypharmacy, inappropriate prescribing, and deprescribing in older people: through a sex and gender lens","volume":"2","author":"PA Rochon","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet Heal Longev"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308448.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1177\/2042098615615472","article-title":"Predicting risk of adverse drug reactions in older adults","volume":"7","author":"AH Lavan","year":"2016","journal-title":"Ther Adv drug Saf"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0308448.ref023","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"252","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa0801748","article-title":"Effect of dissemination of evidence in reducing injuries from falls","volume":"359","author":"ME Tinetti","year":"2008","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0308448.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.3928\/0098-9134-19911001-09","article-title":"Clearing up the confusion: adverse effects of medications in the elderly","volume":"17","author":"DT Palmieri","year":"1991","journal-title":"J Gerontol Nurs"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"222","DOI":"10.1007\/s11096-006-9048-0","article-title":"Validation of a comprehensive classification tool for treatment-related problems","volume":"28","author":"SM AbuRuz","year":"2006","journal-title":"Pharm World Sci"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308448.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"52","DOI":"10.1186\/s40360-017-0157-2","article-title":"Drug-related problems and medication reviews among old people with dementia","volume":"18","author":"B Pfister","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMC Pharmacol Toxicol"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref027","first-page":"101","article-title":"Optimizing pharmacotherapy in elderly patients: the role of pharmacists","volume":"4","author":"JK Lee","year":"2015","journal-title":"Integr Pharm Res Pract"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref028","author":"E. Kulju","journal-title":"Educational interventions and their effects on healthcare professionals\u2019 digital competence development: A systematic review, International Journal of Medical Informatics, Volume"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308448.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e03087","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2019.e03087","article-title":"Enhancing the use of e-mail in scientific research and in the academy","volume":"6","author":"M. Pagliaro","year":"2020","journal-title":"HeliyonJan 2"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308448.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e025273","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2018-025273","article-title":"Short email with attachment versus long email without attachment when contacting authors to request unpublished data for a systematic review: a nested randomised trial","volume":"9","author":"PJ Godolphin","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308448.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1007\/s11096-019-00784-9","article-title":"DEFEAT-polypharmacy: deprescribing anticholinergic and sedative medicines feasibility trial in residential aged care facilities","volume":"41","author":"N Ailabouni","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Clin Pharm"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308448.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"25","DOI":"10.1177\/2042098617736192","article-title":"Poly-de-prescribing to treat polypharmacy: efficacy and safety","volume":"9","author":"D. Garfinkel","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ther Adv Drug Saf"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0308448.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"830","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jamda.2014.08.008","article-title":"A comparison of beers and STOPP criteria in assessing potentially inappropriate medications in nursing home residents attending the emergency department","volume":"15","author":"AR Grace","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Am Med Dir Assoc"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0308448.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2487","DOI":"10.1111\/jgs.17894","article-title":"Recommendations for outcome measurement for deprescribing intervention studies","volume":"70","author":"EA Bayliss","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Am Geriatr Soc"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0308448.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.5688\/ajpe7816","article-title":"Assessing student pharmacists\u2019 ability to identify drug-related problems in patients within a patient-centered medical home","volume":"78","author":"BL Armor","year":"2014","journal-title":"Am J Pharm Educ"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0308448.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0253588","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0253588","article-title":"Pharmacist-led educational interventions provided to healthcare providers to reduce medication errors: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"16","author":"M Jaam","year":"2021","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0308448.ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.5770\/cgj.22.338","article-title":"Quality Improvement Project to Reduce Drug-Related Problems (DRPs) and Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIMs) in Geriatrics Cardiac Clinic in Saudi Arabia","volume":"22","author":"SS Mekdad","year":"2019","journal-title":"Can Geriatr J"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0308448.ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3672","DOI":"10.1111\/bcp.14824","article-title":"Pharmacist-led interventions to reduce adverse drug events in older people living in residential aged care facilities: A systematic review","volume":"87","author":"S Ali","year":"2021","journal-title":"Br J Clin Pharmacol"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref039","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"587","DOI":"10.2147\/CIA.S201039","article-title":"Evaluation of pharmacist interventions and commonly used medications in the geriatric ward of a teaching hospital in Turkey: a retrospective study","volume":"14","author":"E Ertuna","year":"2019","journal-title":"Clin Interv Aging"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref040","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1323102","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1323102","article-title":"The influence of pharmacist-led collaborative care on clinical outcomes in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a multicenter randomized control trial","volume":"12","author":"MZ Iqbal","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0308448.ref041","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"320","DOI":"10.1504\/IJBHR.2011.043414","article-title":"Measuring bias in self-reported data","volume":"2","author":"R Rosenman","year":"2011","journal-title":"Int J Behav Healthc Res"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0308448.ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"356","DOI":"10.1111\/jvim.15458","article-title":"Why measuring outcomes is important in health care","volume":"33","author":"L. Pantaleon","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Vet Intern Med"}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0308448","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,22]],"date-time":"2024-10-22T17:30:24Z","timestamp":1729618224000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0308448"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Naeem","family":"Mubarak","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,22]]},"references-count":42,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,22]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0308448","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,22]]}}}