Mycophenolate Rems: Education for Pediatric Transplant Providers

Abstract

Background: Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is an immunosuppressive agent commonly prescribed to prevent rejection in patients that have received an organ transplant. While MMF revolutionized post-transplant care as a potent immunosuppressive, it still has serious teratogenic risks involved with its use. These risks led to the development of a federally mandated risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) program. Unfortunately, knowledge of this program is not widely disseminated, posing serious risks to women taking MMF. This risk is exacerbated in pediatric patients with chronic illness, as discussions surrounding contraception and teratogen use is particularly lacking. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to increase knowledge of MMF REMS for all providers involved in the care of solid organ transplant patients at Phoenix Children’s Hospital (PCH). Method: A one group, pre-experimental, pre-test/post-test design on a convenience sample of providers caring for patients with solid organ transplant was used to compare if provider knowledge regarding MMF REMS increased after an evidence-based educational intervention. Results: The intervention led to a statistically significant improvement of MMF REMS knowledge in pediatric transplant care providers following an educational intervention, z= -3.18, p-value= 0.001, with a large effect size (r= -0.62). Thirteen transplant care providers participated in this study. Conclusion: An educational intervention successfully increased pediatric transplant provider knowledge on the MMF REMS program and its recommendations.