Experiencia Farmacoterapéutica en pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica atendidos en el Servicio de Nefrología de un hospital en Costa Rica. Estudio Piloto

Objective: Describe the medication experience of patients with chronic kidney disease included in the Pharmaceutical Care Program of a Hospital Calderon Guardia in Costa Rica. Methods: Qualitative study in patients with chronic kidney disease that were treated by the Pharmaceutical Care Program. Analytical categories were defined based on patients’ feedback on their medication experiences as well as the pharmacist's field notebook. Qualitative analysis and triangulation were obtained by incorporating reflexivity into the peer review of qualitative data. Results: As part of the medication experience, 5 of 11 patients shared feedback on medications quantities to be taken, 5 patients did not have sufficient knowledge and/or understanding of it, and finally, 4 expressed their fear to adverse reactions. Discussion: Most of the feedback received was related to number of medications that each patient was prescribed. Polymedication caused an averse attitude in some of them, especially on those who had chronic kidney disease. Kidney transplant recipient patients did not display the same behavior. Other participants described a general lack of understanding on the use of medication, probably derived from Costa Rica’s paternalistic model of care. Overall, most of the patients expressed their worry and fear towards adverse reactions. In these situations, the availability of the pharmacist to answer questions and provide therapeutic options to deal with these reactions, as a care support strategy, contributed to increasing confidence towards medication use.