Collaborative care by certified community pharmacists for 34 patients with heart failure resulted in 80 clinical interventions, of which 30 (37.5%) were accepted.
Cohort (n=34)
Yes
Does collaborative care by certified community pharmacists lead to accepted clinical interventions in adult patients with heart failure?
A community pharmacy certificate program successfully enabled pharmacists to deliver comprehensive education and clinical interventions for patients with heart failure.
BACKGROUND: Limited evidence exists on the implementation of community-based heart failure (HF) care with community pharmacists. OBJECTIVES: The goal of the pilot study was to evaluate the impact of collaborative HF care through the development of a community pharmacy certificate program and new partnerships between community pharmacists and providers. METHODS: The pilot project was a 1-year prospective cohort study. Community pharmacists were educated through the certificate program. The patient inclusion criteria were adult patients with HF. Community pharmacists provided patients with comprehensive education about HF medication, HF self-care, diet, and vaccine at enrollment. Pharmacist interventions included: 1) guideline-directed medical therapy optimization; 2) medication education; 3) HF self-care education; 4) adherence optimization; 5) cost mitigation strategies; 6) managing medications worsening HF; 7) immunizations; and 8) dietary education. Each patient was prospectively followed for 6 months. RESULTS: Three pharmacies were selected as pilot sites. Following completion of the certificate course, all 3 pharmacists passed the exam achieving above 80% on their first attempt. A total of 34 patients were enrolled in the study. All patients received comprehensive education at the initial follow-up encounter with community pharmacists. A total of 80 interventions were performed, of which 30 (37.5%) were accepted. The most accepted intervention was a vaccine (13 patient-accepted interventions), followed by seven accepted adherence-related interventions, five HF guideline-directed medical therapy interventions, 3 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug discontinuation interventions, and two cost-mitigation strategy interventions. CONCLUSIONS: The development and implementation of a HF community pharmacy certificate program prepared 3 community pharmacists to participate in collaborative HF care with cardiology providers. Certified pharmacists delivered comprehensive education to patients with HF and provided a wide range of clinical interventions supporting the potential role of community pharmacists in HF management.
“Recent statewide data show underutilization of life-saving heart failure medications in West Virginia. To address this, we are developing a Community Pharmacy Heart Failure Certificate Program and Statewide Collaborative Network to improve health disparities in local heart failure care. This Program will help pharmacies work closely with local doctors to ensure patients get the best treatment, stay on their medications, and reduce hospital visits.”
Kido et al. (Thu,) conducted a cohort in Heart failure (n=34). Collaborative heart failure care by certified community pharmacists was evaluated on Pharmacist interventions performed and accepted. Collaborative care by certified community pharmacists for 34 patients with heart failure resulted in 80 clinical interventions, of which 30 (37.5%) were accepted.