Pharmacist receives Dr. Falk/Guts UK Awards 2024 for transforming Autoimmune Hepatitis care

Pharmacist, Sonal Patel, has won Dr. Falk/Guts UK Awards 2024 for revolutionizing the management of autoimmune hepatitis with her innovative patient care approach

In a notable accolade for outstanding contributions to healthcare, a Specialist Hepatology pharmacist, Sonal Patel, has been awarded the Dr. Falk/Guts UK Award 2024 for the Pharmacist Recognition prize winner category.

Patel, who works at the Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, received the award for her ground-breaking work in improving the management of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and was presented with her award by BSG Chair Prof Andy Veitch & Dr Riadh Jazrawi, Medical Director, Dr Falk Pharma UK, at an event  during the British Society Gastroenterology annual meeting in Birmingham recently.

Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic liver disease characterized by the immune system mistakenly attacking the liver cells, leading to inflammation and potential liver damage.

Patel worked on the establishment of a dedicated specialised pathway to optimise the management of patients diagnosed and treated for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

The project highlighted her innovative approach to patient care, which has significantly enhanced treatment outcomes for individuals suffering from AIH.

According to her, prior to the intervention, the management of AIH relied heavily on hepatology consultant clinics, leading to long waiting times and inconsistent patient support.

To address these challenges, Patel collaborated with her team to "redesign our treatment and monitoring pathway for patients with autoimmune hepatitis".

This initiative led to the creation of pharmacist-led immunosuppressant monitoring clinics, integrated into existing pharmacy services at the hospital.

"The management of autoimmune hepatitis(AIH) encompasses the use of steroids and long-term immunosuppression to control hepatic inflammation," Patel explained.

"Close monitoring and careful titration of these medicines are required to strike a balance between achieving therapeutic benefit whilst minimising the risk of adverse effects."

Patel’s approach also included the development of patient information leaflets, an email helpline for direct communication, and both virtual and face-to-face consultations.

This multifaceted strategy has enabled a more responsive and flexible patient care model, including home medication delivery and shared care protocols.

Image Credit: Dr Falk/Guts Awards 2024

"I felt it was important to make pharmacist-led services central to this pathway. By focusing on optimising medication safety, efficacy and adherence, this was an opportunity to showcase our skillset and strengths, and a pertinent example of how pharmacists can directly support the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT) with patient care," said Patel.

"It has been rewarding to see the impact of the pharmacy service on our patients. Several patients previously lost to follow up have since re-engaged with our services, and we have received positive feedback through patient experience forums."

Dr. Sreelakshmi Kotha, Consultant Hepatologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’, praised Patel’s efforts, stating, "Sonal has been actively involved in setting up and running the

pharmacist autoimmune hepatitis clinic at the GSTT alongside hepatology consultants.

"These weekly clinics significantly improved the quality of care provided to autoimmune hepatitis patients and reduced the pressures on consultant clinics.

In particular the clinics have supported us to manage the cohort of patients who struggle with compliance to medications.

"It would be much more difficult to run the autoimmune hepatitis service without the availability of the pharmacy clinic."

Expressing her gratitude, Patel said, “This award is a wonderful recognition of the impact pharmacists can have on patient outcomes.

"It underscores the essential role we play as part of the multi-disciplinary team and highlights the value of pharmacist-led services."

Dr. Falk/Guts UK Awards are renowned for honouring exceptional contributions to the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology.