Evidence-Based Pharmacist Care (Clinical, Economic, and Humanistic Impact): Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorder is a condition that affects the quality, quantity, and schedule of sleep, resulting in daytime stress and impaired functioning 134 throughout the day. Sleep disorders affect approximately 45% of the world’s population. The estimated prevalence of sleep problems ranges from 1.6% to 56%. There are seven major types of sleep disorders that commonly exist: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, nocturia, and periodic limb movements during sleep. Effective pharmacological and non-pharmacological management is required to address patients’ sleep-related issues. Therefore, the role of pharmacists is of considerable significance in this regard. Community pharmacists are in an effective position to provide pertinent services to the public regarding sleep problems. They contribute through the provision of screening services, treatment optimization, and patient education and counseling. Furthermore, a clinical pharmacist can improve sleep disorders in inpatients through collaboration with the physician, ensuring safe medication use, identifying medication or lifestyle habits that can interfere with the sleep cycle, and pharmacological intervention to ensure patient-tailored drug regimen selection ( Hirshkowitz et al., 2015 ).