Transitional CarePharmTOC-EDNCT07310199
Pharmacist-Led Transition of Care Program in the Emergency Department (Pharm TOC-ED): A Pilot Trial
A study testing Multi-faceted pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) program in people with Transitional Care, run by Dr. Muhammad Abdul Hadi at 1 site in Qatar.
Trial summary
When patients leave the emergency department, mistakes with their medications are common and can lead to complications or hospital readmissions. Pharmacists are trained to help prevent these problems, but pharmacist-led transition of care services are not routinely provided in emergency departments. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Transitional Care
- What is being tested?
- Multi-faceted pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 82 participants
- Where
- 1 siteQatar
- Study dates
- 19 Jan 2026to 10 Apr 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults (aged 18 years or more) discharged from the ED with at least one of the following:
- Polypharmacy: Five or more scheduled prescription medications for chronic illnesses (i.e., chronic maintenance medications, even if such medications were not refilled during the index ED visit)
- Discharged with a new prescription of high-risk medication, including:
- Drugs with the potential of withdrawal symptoms upon abrupt discontinuation such as antipsychotics, antiepileptics, antidepressants, and tapering glucocorticoids.
- Insulin (initiation or intensification of therapy)
- Oral hypoglycemic agents
- Visiting ED for an exacerbation of chronic illness (e.g., exacerbation of asthma, COPD, CHF, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, hypertension urgency, uncontrolled epilepsy)
Who cannot join
- The following patients will be excluded:
- Presenting with acute minor illnesses
- Lack of decision-making capacity (including documented moderate or severe dementia, altered mental status, unstable psychiatric illness, altered consciousness level, lack of orientation to person/place/time as reported in EHR, delirium, patients seen in the ED for a psychiatric evaluation)
- Language barrier, i.e., inability to communicate in either English or Arabic as the intervention will be provided by English/Arabic speaking clinical pharmacists
- Expected length of stay in Qatar of <30 days post discharge (including transit passengers)
- Substance use disorders (e.g., alcoholism, opioid dependency) or drug-seeking behavior, as reported in EHR
Show all 15Show fewer
- Prisoners who are serving an active sentence
- Patients presenting for non-medical, socially driven reasons (e.g., seeking shelter, support, or resources) with no identifiable acute medical condition, and known to the ED team as recurrent visitors.
- Discharge to a location other than home (e.g., patients transferred to another hospital, long-term or skilled nursing facility)
- Study pharmacists unavailable to deliver the intervention if the patients were randomized to the intervention arm
- Pregnant women
- Patients seen for trauma or planned surgery
- Terminally ill patients
- Patients discharged from ED with watchful waiting (e.g., expected to be readmitted for an intervention such as surgical intervention if conservative management failed)
- Patients who are admitted to the hospital after enrollment (i.e., following consent but prior to ED discharge)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Qatar1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Al- Wakra Hospital- Hamad Medical Corporation
Al Wakrah
Dr. Sameer Pathan, PhD, 0097466857650, SPATHAN@hamad.qa
About this study
Official title: Pharmacist-Led Transition of Care Program in the Emergency Department (Pharm TOC-ED): A Pilot Randomized, Parallel-Group, Open-Label Trial With Embedded Process Evaluation
When patients leave the emergency department, mistakes with their medications are common and can lead to complications or hospital readmissions. Pharmacists are trained to help prevent these problems, but pharmacist-led transition of care services are not routinely provided in emergency departments.
This study is a small pilot randomized controlled trial designed to see whether a pharmacist-led transition of care program can be carried out successfully in the emergency department at Al-Wakra Hospital. The study will help determine if a larger trial is feasible in the future.
Read more
Patients who are being discharged home from the emergency department and meet the study criteria will be invited to participate. Those who agree will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:
Usual care, or Usual care plus the pharmacist-led transition of care program The pharmacist-led program includes reviewing the discharge prescription, checking and updating the medication list, providing medication education, arranging follow-up with a pharmacist-run clinic, communicating with outpatient pharmacists, and following up with the patient after discharge.
The pilot trial will help determine how many patients are eligible, how many agree to participate, how well the intervention can be delivered in the emergency department, and whether patients and staff find it acceptable. The results will be used to plan a larger study that will test whether this program can reduce healthcare use after discharge.
- Conditions
- Transitional Care
- Being tested
- Multi-faceted pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) program
- Keywords
- transition of care, Pharmacy services, Emergency Department
- Medical subject headings
- Emergencies
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Multi-faceted pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) programBehavioural
The pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) intervention begins once a patient is deemed ready for ED discharge. ED pharmacists conduct a comprehensive discharge medication review, identify and resolve medication therapy problems, and document recommendations in the electronic health record (EHR). They perform discharge medication reconciliation, generate the best possible medication list, and correct any discrepancies. Pharmacists provide structured medication counseling using teach-back and address adherence barriers. Discharge planning includes scheduling post-discharge follow-up in a pharmacist-led medication therapy management clinic and delivering a standardized handover to ambulatory pharmacists. Patients receive two post-discharge follow-up visits within 7 and 14 days, during which pharmacists reassess medications, resolve new or ongoing issues, provide education, and coordinate additional care when needed. All activities follow standardized documentation procedures.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control arm (Usual Care) | No intervention | Patients in this group will receive standard care in accordance with Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) policies and practices. Currently, case review by clinical pharmacists for all ED patients at the study site is not part of routine care. Medication review, reconciliation, discharge education, and follow-up are typically managed by ED-physicians and nurses. Clinical pharmacists may be consulted, depending on availability, for complex or selected cases only. Control group patients will not be denied pharmacist-led TOC services when deemed necessary as part of routine clinical judgment. These instances will be recorded, including the reason, nature, and timing of the care provided by the pharmacist. |
| Multi-faceted pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) program (Intervention) | Active comparator | Participants receive usual care plus a pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) program, which includes medication review, reconciliation, discharge counseling, coordination of follow-up, and post-discharge pharmacist visits. Receives: Behavioral: Multi-faceted pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Eligibility rate among screened patients
Proportion of screened emergency department (ED) patients who meet all inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria for the pilot trial.
Measured: At baseline (Day 1)
Recruitment rate among eligible patients
Proportion of eligible patients who agree to participate, provide informed consent, and are randomized into the trial.
Measured: At baseline (Day 1)
Retention rate at post-discharge follow-up
Proportion of enrolled patients who: (a) in the intervention group, attend pharmacist-led follow-up visits at 7 and 14 days after ED discharge; and (b) in both groups, complete the 30-day follow-up phone call.
Measured: Intervention arm: Day 7, Day 14, and Day 30 after ED discharge, Control arm: Day 30 after ED discharge
Intervention fidelity: receipt of all ToC program components
Proportion of participants in the intervention arm who receive all prespecified components of the pharmacist-led transition of care intervention (discharge medication review, discharge medication reconciliation, patient counseling, discharge planning, and post-discharge follow-up).
Measured: Through day 30 after ED discharge
Secondary outcomes (9)
Proportion of patients with ≥1 unintentional medication discrepancy
Proportion of patients with at least one unintentional medication discrepancy identified by the clinical pharmacist at ED discharge and during post-discharge follow-up visits.
Measured: Through day 30 after ED discharge
Number and types of unintentional medication discrepancies
Total number, mean number per patient, and types of unintentional medication discrepancies identified by the clinical pharmacist at ED discharge and during post-discharge follow-up visits.
Measured: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
Proportion of patients with ≥1 medication therapy problem (MTP)
Proportion of patients with at least one medication therapy problem identified by the clinical pharmacist at ED discharge and during post-discharge follow-up visits.
Measured: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
Number and types of medication therapy problems
Total number, mean number per patient, and types of medication therapy problems identified by the clinical pharmacist at ED discharge and during post-discharge follow-up visits.
Measured: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
Resolution of medication discrepancies and medication therapy problems
Proportion of identified medication discrepancies and medication therapy problems that are resolved before ED discharge, resolved during post-discharge follow-up, or remain unresolved at the end of follow-up.
Measured: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
Unplanned healthcare utilization within 30 days
Proportion of patients with a composite outcome of unplanned ED revisit and/or unplanned hospital admission for any acute health problem within 30 days of discharge from the index ED visit. Elective admissions and scheduled outpatient visits are excluded.
Measured: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
ED revisit or hospital admission related to index ED presentation
Proportion of patients with an ED revisit and/or hospital admission determined to be related to the index ED presentation within 30 days of discharge.
Measured: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
Medication-related ED visits or hospital admissions
Proportion of patients with medication-related ED revisits and/or hospital admissions within 30 days of discharge, identified using AT-HARM10 screening followed by adjudication by a clinical pharmacist and physician.
Measured: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
Patient satisfaction with pharmacist-led ToC intervention
Patient satisfaction with pharmacist-led transition of care interventions assessed using the Medication Management Patient Satisfaction Survey (MMPSS).
Measured: Day 30 after discharge
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Dec 2025
- Study start19 Jan 2026
- Primary completion11 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion10 Apr 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Transitional CareStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 82 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Dr. Muhammad Abdul Hadi
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Hamad Medical Corporation
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Dr. Muhammad Abdul Hadi, Qatar University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07310199
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2394800-1
- Other IDs
- CG 838
- Acronym
- PharmTOC-ED
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 14 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 21 Jan 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be shared outside the study team. Data will be analyzed and reported in aggregate form only, in accordance with institutional and ethical approvals.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Jan 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Pharmacist-Led Transition of Care Program in the Emergency Department (Pharm TOC-ED): A Pilot Randomized, Parallel-Group, Open-Label Trial With Embedded Process Evaluation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07310199
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PharmTOC-ED / 2394800-1
- Conditions
- Transitional Care
- Keywords
- transition of care, Pharmacy services, Emergency Department
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 82 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Dr. Muhammad Abdul HadiUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Hamad Medical Corporation
- Study start
- 19 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 11 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 10 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 30 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
When patients leave the emergency department, mistakes with their medications are common and can lead to complications or hospital readmissions. Pharmacists are trained to help prevent these problems, but pharmacist-led transition of care services are not routinely provided in emergency departments.
This study is a small pilot randomized controlled trial designed to see whether a pharmacist-led transition of care program can be carried out successfully in the emergency department at Al-Wakra Hospital. The study will help determine if a larger trial is feasible in the future.
Patients who are being discharged home from the emergency department and meet the study criteria will be invited to participate. Those who agree will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:
Usual care, or Usual care plus the pharmacist-led transition of care program The pharmacist-led program includes reviewing the discharge prescription, checking and updating the medication list, providing medication education, arranging follow-up with a pharmacist-run clinic, communicating with outpatient pharmacists, and following up with the patient after discharge.
The pilot trial will help determine how many patients are eligible, how many agree to participate, how well the intervention can be delivered in the emergency department, and whether patients and staff find it acceptable. The results will be used to plan a larger study that will test whether this program can reduce healthcare use after discharge.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control arm (Usual Care) | No intervention | –Patients in this group will receive standard care in accordance with Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) policies and practices. Currently, case review by clinical pharmacists for all ED patients at the study site is not part of routine care. Medication review, reconciliation, discharge education, and follow-up are typically managed by ED-physicians and nurses. Clinical pharmacists may be consulted, depending on availability, for complex or selected cases only. Control group patients will not be denied pharmacist-led TOC services when deemed necessary as part of routine clinical judgment. These instances will be recorded, including the reason, nature, and timing of the care provided by the pharmacist. |
| Multi-faceted pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) program (Intervention) | Active comparator | Behavioral: Multi-faceted pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) programParticipants receive usual care plus a pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) program, which includes medication review, reconciliation, discharge counseling, coordination of follow-up, and post-discharge pharmacist visits. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Adults (aged 18 years or more) discharged from the ED with at least one of the following:
- Polypharmacy: Five or more scheduled prescription medications for chronic illnesses (i.e., chronic maintenance medications, even if such medications were not refilled during the index ED visit)
- Discharged with a new prescription of high-risk medication, including:
- Drugs with the potential of withdrawal symptoms upon abrupt discontinuation such as antipsychotics, antiepileptics, antidepressants, and tapering glucocorticoids.
- Insulin (initiation or intensification of therapy)
Key exclusion criteria (15 listed)
- The following patients will be excluded:
- Presenting with acute minor illnesses
- Lack of decision-making capacity (including documented moderate or severe dementia, altered mental status, unstable psychiatric illness, altered consciousness level, lack of orientation to person/place/time as reported in EHR, delirium, patients seen in the ED for a psychiatric evaluation)
- Language barrier, i.e., inability to communicate in either English or Arabic as the intervention will be provided by English/Arabic speaking clinical pharmacists
- Expected length of stay in Qatar of <30 days post discharge (including transit passengers)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-faceted pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) programThe pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) intervention begins once a patient is deemed ready for ED discharge. ED pharmacists conduct a comprehensive discharge medication review, identify and resolve medication therapy problems, and document recommendations in the electronic health record (EHR). They perform discharge medication reconciliation, generate the best possible medication list, and correct any discrepancies. Pharmacists provide structured medication counseling using teach-back and address adherence barriers. Discharge planning includes scheduling post-discharge follow-up in a pharmacist-led medication therapy management clinic and delivering a standardized handover to ambulatory pharmacists. Patients receive two post-discharge follow-up visits within 7 and 14 days, during which pharmacists reassess medications, resolve new or ongoing issues, provide education, and coordinate additional care when needed. All activities follow standardized documentation procedures. | Behavioural | Multi-faceted pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) program (Intervention) |
Primary outcome
Eligibility rate among screened patients
Time frame: At baseline (Day 1)
Proportion of screened emergency department (ED) patients who meet all inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria for the pilot trial.
Recruitment rate among eligible patients
Time frame: At baseline (Day 1)
Proportion of eligible patients who agree to participate, provide informed consent, and are randomized into the trial.
Retention rate at post-discharge follow-up
Time frame: Intervention arm: Day 7, Day 14, and Day 30 after ED discharge, Control arm: Day 30 after ED discharge
Proportion of enrolled patients who: (a) in the intervention group, attend pharmacist-led follow-up visits at 7 and 14 days after ED discharge; and (b) in both groups, complete the 30-day follow-up phone call.
Intervention fidelity: receipt of all ToC program components
Time frame: Through day 30 after ED discharge
Proportion of participants in the intervention arm who receive all prespecified components of the pharmacist-led transition of care intervention (discharge medication review, discharge medication reconciliation, patient counseling, discharge planning, and post-discharge follow-up).
9 secondary outcomes
Proportion of patients with ≥1 unintentional medication discrepancy
Time frame: Through day 30 after ED discharge
Number and types of unintentional medication discrepancies
Time frame: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
Proportion of patients with ≥1 medication therapy problem (MTP)
Time frame: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
Number and types of medication therapy problems
Time frame: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
Resolution of medication discrepancies and medication therapy problems
Time frame: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
Unplanned healthcare utilization within 30 days
Time frame: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
ED revisit or hospital admission related to index ED presentation
Time frame: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
Medication-related ED visits or hospital admissions
Time frame: Through Day 30 after ED discharge
Patient satisfaction with pharmacist-led ToC intervention
Time frame: Day 30 after discharge
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Jan 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data will not be shared outside the study team. Data will be analyzed and reported in aggregate form only, in accordance with institutional and ethical approvals.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Multi-faceted pharmacist-led transition of care (ToC) program in people with Transitional Care, run by Dr. Muhammad Abdul Hadi at 1 site in Qatar.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 15 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Qatar. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Muhammad Abdul Hadi, PhD (0097433114549, mabdulhadi@qu.edu.qa), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Eligibility rate among screened patients (time frame: At baseline (Day 1)). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Jan 2026.