Implementation of a Pharmacist-Driven Protocol to Improve Screening and Treatment of Iron Deficiency in Hospitalized Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Purpose: While intravenous (IV) iron repletion is an effective tool to treat anemia and improve outcomes in chronic kidney disease (CKD), guideline laboratory definitions of iron deficiency differ, resulting in variability in screening and repletion strategies. This study sought to describe current practices surrounding identification and treatment of iron deficiency in CKD and then implement a pharmacist-led protocol to optimize care at a tertiary medical center. Methods: This single center, retrospective, pre- and post-protocol implementation study of adults with CKD admitted to the inpatient setting first analyzed historic practices for iron deficiency screening and treatment, followed by deployment of a pharmacist-driven protocol for iron deficiency screening and treatment. Iron deficiency was defined as transferrin saturation of ≤30% and ferritin of ≤500 ng/mL. Improvement in screening and repletion rates was analyzed. Results: Historic pre-protocol practices were reviewed in 7155 admissions of which 2559 (35.8%) included screening for iron deficiency. Over the 2 months intervention (post-protocol) period, 315 admissions were included. The average age of patients in the post-protocol cohort was 64.1 years, 53.7% were female, and 26.4% were dialysis dependent. Compared to pre-protocol, patients were 2.33 (95% CI 2.20-2.47) times more likely to be screened and deficient patients were 2.05 (95% CI 1.46-2.86) times more likely to be treated, with most receiving IV iron therapy (85.4%), in the post-protocol cohort. Patients were 3.58 times (95% CI 1.97-6.48) more likely to receive IV iron versus oral alone in the post-protocol cohort compared to pre-protocol. Conclusion: The frequency of patients with CKD screened and treated with iron increased after implementation of a pharmacist-driven protocol. This study underscores the need for a systematic approach to identification/treatment of iron deficiency in this population.