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Contributions of pharmaceutical interventions to the multidisciplinary dysphagia team: A retrospective observational study
Ueda Akihito, Obara Michiko, Watanabe Shinichi. Journal of pharmaceutical health care and sciences, 2025-08-06
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The 2022 revision of Japanese healthcare reimbursement removed pharmacists from the mandatory dysphagia team, despite emerging evidence of medication-related swallowing complications. Our previous pharmacovigilance analysis identified dopamine-blocking drugs as primary contributors to the risk of aspiration pneumonia. This study aimed to validate these findings through a clinical examination of pharmaceutical interventions performed by a multidisciplinary dysphagia team. This retrospective observational study was conducted at a 97-bed community hospital in Osaka, Japan, from June 2023 to January 2024. All adult patients with suspected dysphagia who underwent a multidisciplinary team intervention were included in our analysis. Pharmaceutical intervention was requested when medication-related dysphagia or swallowing difficulties were suspected, with interventions classified into the following four categories: drug-induced dysphagia management, dosage form optimization, swallowing aid utilization, and medication burden reduction. Changes in the medication burden were analyzed using paired t-tests. Among 59 patients with dysphagia (mean age, 81.1 ± 9.8 years; 33 males [55.9%], 26 females [44.1%]), 13 (22.0%) underwent pharmaceutical interventions. Drug-induced dysphagia management was the most common intervention (69.2%), targeting dopamine antagonists (sulpiride, risperidone, tiapride, and domperidone), benzodiazepines, and anticholinergics without dopamine-blocking effects. Suspected drug-induced dysphagia was the most common symptom among patients with dementia (38.9%). The intervention group showed a significant reduction in medication (mean, -3.2 medications; P < 0.001), whereas the non-intervention group showed no change. Among the non-intervention group, potential opportunities for the optimization of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were identified in antihypertensive therapy. Pharmaceutical interventions may offer clinically meaningful contributions when utilized for patients with dysphagia, supporting the relevance of pharmacovigilance regarding the risks of dopamine antagonists. The findings of this study suggest the importance of reinstating pharmaceutical expertise to multidisciplinary dysphagia teams, as pharmacists provide clinically significant medication optimization, including identifying additional optimization opportunities through systematic medication reviews among vulnerable populations.
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APA 7th
Akihito, U., Michiko, O., & Shinichi, W. (2025). Contributions of pharmaceutical interventions to the multidisciplinary dysphagia team: A retrospective observational study. Journal of pharmaceutical health care and sciences. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40780-025-00474-x
Vancouver
Akihito U, Michiko O, Shinichi W. Contributions of pharmaceutical interventions to the multidisciplinary dysphagia team: A retrospective observational study. Journal of pharmaceutical health care and sciences. 2025. doi:10.1186/s40780-025-00474-x. PMID: 40764950.
BibTeX
@article{akihito2025-40764950,
author = {Akihito, Ueda and Michiko, Obara and Shinichi, Watanabe},
title = {{Contributions of pharmaceutical interventions to the multidisciplinary dysphagia team: A retrospective observational study}},
journal = {Journal of pharmaceutical health care and sciences},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1186/s40780-025-00474-x},
pmid = {40764950},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s40780-025-00474-x}
}
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Key findings
- This study aimed to validate these findings through a clinical examination of pharmaceutical interventions performed by a multidisciplinary dysphagia team.
- The intervention group showed a significant reduction in medication (mean, -3.2 medications; P < 0.001), whereas the non-intervention group showed no change.
- The findings of this study suggest the importance of reinstating pharmaceutical expertise to multidisciplinary dysphagia teams, as pharmacists provide clinically significant medication optimization, including identifying additional optimization opportunities through systematic medication reviews among vulnerable populations.
Why it matters
This retrospective study examined pharmaceutical interventions by a multidisciplinary dysphagia team and found a significant reduction in medication burden in the intervention group. It concerns swallowing difficulties and medication management, not treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants59
- Effect size55.9%; 44.1%; 22.0%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 32/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of pharmaceutical health care and sciences) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences: journal h-index 28 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 59 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-17) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Shinichi Watanabe: h-index 26 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Teikyo Heisei University: institution h-index 72 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40764950) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 32 / 100 | — |
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