Pharmaceutical Care Strategies for Stroke Patients: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Stroke is a clinical syndrome characterized by rapidly developing clinical symptoms of focal (or global, in the case of coma) brain dysfunction lasting more than 24 hours or causing death with no apparent cause other than vascular. Stroke is broadly divided into subarachnoid hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke. Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability worldwide. Stroke is the most common non-communicable disease (NCD) in India, accounting for 3.5 percent of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY). According to studies, the prevalence of strokes in India is 116-163 strokes per 100,000 people. Recently, the ICMR published a report titled "India: According to the National Health Service, stroke was the fourth leading cause of death and the fifth leading cause of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in 2016". All the literature evaluating pharmacy interventions in stroke patients and the role of the clinical pharmacist in the evidence supporting stroke care are well established. This review aims to provide a comprehensive explanation of pharmacist interventions for stroke patients. Outcomes can be improved by clinical pharmacist involvement in the prescribing process, computerized entry of medication orders, pre-administration monitoring of drug interactions, and patient counseling.