Recruiting

Observational Study

Sponsor:

University of Alberta

Code:

NCT06681142

Conditions

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee

Physiotherapy

Pharmacy

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 50+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Pharmacy-Physiotherapy Intervention

Study Details

Brief summary:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a slowly progressive chronic condition that is associated with aging and is characterized as joint pain. Individuals with early-stage OA usually do not seek medical attention. If and when they do, patients more often present to a pharmacy for over-the-counter medications.

The investigators want to leverage community pharmacists' accessibility and scope of practice to best support patients with early knee OA. Given there are no disease-modifying treatments for OA, treatment guidelines center on patient education, self-management, and exercise, with medications playing a supporting role. Self-management is an effective strategy that provides a solid foundation for managing this progressive chronic condition and health care professionals like physiotherapists and pharmacists can help with the development and application of these skills.

Conditions

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee

Physiotherapy

Pharmacy

Study ID

NCT06681142

Start date

Aug 13, 2025

Status verified date

Jun, 2026

Completion date

Sep, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Sep, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 50+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • regularly experiencing pain, aching, or stiffness in and/or around the knee for at least 1 month
  • complete the screening PhIT-OA questionnaire

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior total knee replacement or on the waitlist to have your knee replaced
  • Knee surgery within the previous 4 months
  • History of acute injury to knee within previous 6 months
  • Unable to speak and read English
  • Unwilling or unable to visit a physiotherapist at a community physiotherapy clinic (specifically the dates and times of the partnering physiotherapy clinic)
  • Previous physician-diagnosed inflammatory arthritis (including this list): Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Lupus, Gout
  • Physician diagnosed fibromyalgia
  • A sudden, severely painful, hot, swollen joint at any time in the past
  • History of the following medications: csDMARD or bDMARD or tsDMARD, Immunosuppressive, Allopurinol or febuxostat, Colchicine
  • Received a knee joint injection in the past 3 months or have one scheduled in the next 3 months
  • Has completed the GLA:D Hip and Knee program at all in the past

Study Design

Enrollment

125 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

no intervention: Usual Care (Control) Group

Pharmacists will provide a general educational pamphlet and will inform the primary care physician of patient participation and referral for further assessment of knee OA.

Participants randomized to this group will be offered physiotherapy and/or pharmacy interventions (individual or GLA:D program 3 months after enrollment) and pharmacy options (comprehensive medication review). It will be explained to participants that usual care is 'conservative therapy'.

Usual care participants will be eligible to opt in for a comprehensive medication review (pharmacist) and/or the physiotherapy sessions and will be evaluated at 9-months after enrollment.

experimental: Intervention Group

Pharmacists will provide comprehensive 1:1 patient care, including a SCHOLAR assessment and medication review, provide specific drug therapy recommendation(s) using shared decision making (SDM), and provide comprehensive patient education/resources. Pharmacists will refer to physiotherapy clinics located nearby for patient convenience and to establish community pharmacy/physiotherapy clinic relationships.

Participants will be offered a physiotherapy assessment at a nearby physiotherapy clinic within 2 weeks of being assessed by the pharmacist. After the physiotherapy assessment session, participants who are diagnosed with symptomatic knee OA will be offered the GLA:D program for knee OA which includes 6-weeks of neuromuscular exercises along with 2 education session in a group format.

Interventions

Pharmacy-Physiotherapy Intervention

Pharmacists will provide comprehensive 1:1 patient care, including a complete patient assessment and medication review, provide specific drug therapy recommendation(s) using shared decision making (SDM), and provide patient education, including further written materials.

Participants will be offered either individual or group physiotherapy sessions at the a private clinic.

Primary outcome measure

  • Disease specific self-report measure for OA [ Time Frame: Baseline, Post Intervention (3 & 6 month after baseline) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Allyson Jones

780-492-2020cajones@ualberta.ca

Jordyn Burgar

burgar@ucalgary.ca

Locations

Mint Health & Drugs Sherwood Park

Recruiting

Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada

Contacts

Jordyn Burgar

780-989-1282burgar@ualberta.ca

More Information

Sponsor

University of Alberta

Last update posted

Jun 26, 2026

Last verified

Jun, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Alberta on 2026-06-26.