ADMINISTRATION OF DRUGS VIA ENTERAL FEEDING TUBE: STRATEGIES FOR PHARMACEUTICAL COUNSELING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47820/recima21.v6i12.6971Keywords:
Pharmaceutical Care, Enteral Nutrition, Route of Drug Administration, Medication AdherenceAbstract
The administration of medications via enteral feeding tubes represents a risk to patient safety, especially in the home environment, due to the complexity of the procedure and the lack of adequate technical guidance. This study evaluated the influence of pharmaceutical counseling on caregivers’ performance in medication administration through enteral tubes and on adherence to pharmacological treatment among caregivers of patients at hospital discharge. This was an experimental, longitudinal study with quantitative and qualitative approaches, conducted in a hospital in northern Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, between August and October 2025. A total of 35 patients using enteral feeding tubes and their caregivers participated, divided into two groups: verbal counseling only (n = 16) and counseling with practical demonstration and illustrative material (n = 19). Medication adherence was assessed using the adapted Morisky-Green questionnaire and administration practices using a structured questionnaire. The group that received the practical demonstration showed better performance in critical steps of preparation and administration of medications, with a higher frequency of correct answers. Regarding adherence, in the demonstration group 54.5% of caregivers presented high adherence, 36.4% medium adherence and 9.1% low adherence, whereas in the verbal group 28.6% presented high adherence and 71.4% medium adherence, with no cases of low adherence. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in adherence levels (p = 0.311). The findings suggest that demonstrative educational approaches strengthen caregivers’ understanding and patient safety, reinforcing the role of pharmacists at hospital discharge.
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