The Influence of Pharmacist Counseling on Changes in Hemoglobin Levels of Pregnant Women at a Community Health Center in Indonesia

Background: Heryadi et al. (2017) conducted a randomized pre-post control study in Indonesia to examine the impact of pharmacist counseling on increasing hemoglobin (Hb) levels in pregnant women. Counseling, a clinical pharmacy service integral to patient and healthcare communication, aims to enhance patients’ knowledge and understanding of their medications. The purpose of the study was to improve adherence to iron supplement tablet (IST) consumption and optimize consumption patterns.

Method: The study utilized an experimental design, dividing 192 respondents into two groups: those receiving counseling (n=96) and those not receiving counseling (n=96). The Hb levels of participants were measured before and after the intervention. The study took place at a community health center in the Pagedangan Sub-district, Tangerang District, Banten Province. All respondents were interviewed, and their Hb levels were assessed using the Hemocue Hb 301 Analyzer photometry method.

Results: Results were analyzed using the Chi-square test to identify significant differences between the two groups, and multivariate analysis was performed using binary logistic regression. The findings indicated that counseling could increase Hb levels by 8.6 times compared to the non-counseling group (OR=8.6; p<0.05), after controlling for the number of IST per month, consumption patterns of IST with foods or beverages that inhibit iron absorption, education level, and gestational age.

Conclusions: Gestational age in the third trimester was found to increase Hb levels by 5.1 times compared to the first and second trimesters (OR=5.1, p<0.05). Therefore, pharmacist counseling can significantly enhance the success of anemia treatment in pregnant women at community health centers.