Characteristics and Economic Impact of Pharmacist Intervention on Older Adults with Chronic Disease: A Systematic Review

Several pharmacist interventions were carried out to enhance medication safety and effectiveness, but not all are cost-effective. This review aimed to investigate the characteristics and the economic impact of pharmacist intervention for older adults with chronic disease. Articles published from January 2013 to June 2023 were retrieved from PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. After applying the PICO strategy, a total of 13 studies were included, and the studies without cost evaluation were excluded. The quality of the studies was assessed using the CHEERS checklist. Pharmacist intervention for geriatric patients included medication review, patient-centered care approach intervention, and multidisciplinary collaboration care. The follow-up ranged from 10 days to 36 months. Among the five cost-utility analyses (CUA), four indicated negative incremental total cost, meaning the intervention outperformed the control group. Subsequently, two cost-benefit analyses (CBA) showed benefit-to-cost ratios ranging from 3.3 to 6.2. The cost savings on medication ranged from �37.57 to �232 per patient in a year. This review suggested that pharmacist intervention in both outpatient and inpatient settings could decrease the risk of adverse drug events (ADE), enhance clinical outcomes, improve quality of life, and cut down on medication expenditure for older adult patients. Almost all investigations concluded that pharmacist intervention has a beneficial economic impact. Evaluating the economic impact of a large-scale intervention requires further study with more precise estimates of overall intervention cost and rigorous methodology applied to economic evaluations of initiatives. © © 2025 by Indonesian Journal of Pharmacy (IJP).