Diabetes and cardiovascular disease interventions by community pharmacists: a systematic review

Professional stakeholders' expectations for the future of community pharmacy practice in England: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

To explore the views of professional stakeholders on the future of community pharmacy services in England. Specific objectives related to expectations of how community pharmacy services will be provided by 2030 and factors that will influence this.

DESIGN

Qualitative, using semistructured interviews in person or via telephone/Skype. The topic guide was informed by a recent policy review that used the Walt and Gilson policy framework. Transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

SETTING

England.

PARTICIPANTS

External stakeholders were representatives of non-pharmacy organisations, including policy-makers, commissioners and representatives of healthcare professions. Internal stakeholders were community pharmacists or pharmacy organisation representatives. Interviewees were identified using stakeholder mapping RESULTS: In total, 25 interviews were completed (7 external stakeholders and 18 internal stakeholders, of which 10 were community pharmacists). Community pharmacy was recognised as having a key role in expanding health system capacity ('…pharmacy is the obvious person to take on those roles…'), particularly for long-term condition management (eg, adherence, reducing polypharmacy, monitoring), urgent care (eg, minor illnesses) and public health (including mental health). For these contributions to be developed and optimised, greater integration and collaboration with general practices will be needed ('…there is no room for isolationism in pharmacy anymore…'), as well as use of technology in a patient-centred way and full access to health records. These changes will require workforce development together with appropriate commissioning and contractual arrangements. Community pharmacy is currently undervalued ('…the complete misunderstanding by senior Government officials is very scary') and recent investment in general practice pharmacists rather than community pharmacy was seen as a missed opportunity.

CONCLUSIONS

Community pharmacy as a sector could and should be developed to increase health service capacity to address its current challenges. Numerous modifications are required from a range of stakeholders to create the environment in which these changes can occur.

A systematic review of the role of community pharmacists in the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases: the perceptions of patients

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality globally. The modifiable risk factors can be measured and identified early at primary healthcare facilities. Community pharmacists present an opportunity for improved management of cardiovascular diseases and health outcomes. The systematic review aims to identify the roles of community pharmacists in preventing and controlling cardiovascular diseases and patients' perceptions towards such functions.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The team searched MEDLINE, CINAHL via EBSCOhost, and Web of Science from January 2001 to December 2021 with a focus on studies reporting the role of community pharmacists in preventing and controlling cardiovascular diseases, and patients' perceptions of such roles. Search terms included were ''interventions,'' ''community pharmacists,'' ''patients,'' ''cardiovascular diseases,'' ''risk factors,'' and "perceptions". The quality of studies was appraised using the Joanne Briggs Institute checklist.

RESULTS

A total of 45 studies met the inclusion criteria: 35 (78%) and 10 (22%) reported community pharmacists' preventive and control roles, respectively. Generally, drug therapy monitoring, medicine and lifestyle counselling, and health education were most common roles, with pharmacist-initiated prescribing and social support least common. A total of 11 (24%) studies reported patients' perceptions of community pharmacists' contribution in preventing (73%, n = 8) and controlling (27%, n = 3) cardiovascular diseases. Patients were satisfied with community pharmacists' services in 10 of 11 studies.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight community pharmacists' capability of providing primary healthcare services in preventing and controlling cardiovascular diseases and provide evidence for their inclusion in primary healthcare frameworks. Future research should assess the effectiveness of these roles and provide a comprehensive evaluation of clinical, humanistic, and economic outcomes.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

Open Science Framework (OSF) registration https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/WGFXT .

The evolving profile of cognitive pharmaceutical services in Australia

Globally, the availability and delivery of cognitive pharmaceutical services (CPS) by pharmacists has expanded over time. Australia has been no exception to this trend, with government funding to support the provision of certain CPS significantly increasing over the last two decades. Whilst medication management services have been consistently funded by the government for more than 15 years, fluctuations in the funding of other CPS have been observed; for example, certain disease state management CPS and introduction of funded MedsChecks. Furthermore, legislative changes have broadened pharmacists' scope of practice and the CPS provided, contributing to an increase in user-pay services. Although the literature to date has highlighted positive impacts associated with CPS on economic, clinical and/or humanistic outcomes, context-specific, real world evidence for the benefits of CPS is much needed to ensure the profession engages in evidence-based practice. The aim of this commentary is to outline the changes in CPS provision and funding within the Australian context, the existing evidence for CPS, and highlight the implications for future research.

Development of coupled patient care experience courses to enhance patient care skills in the ambulatory and acute care settings

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Providing opportunities to allow pharmacy students to apply clinical skills is essential to ensure that they are comfortable and competent to perform these skills during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) and in practice. We describe unique coupled courses that require students to apply clinical skills during real patient encounters and simulation activities in the ambulatory and acute care setting to ensure that they are ready for APPEs.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING

New required courses were developed at West Virginia University School of Pharmacy that focused on teaching and reinforcing patient care skills in the ambulatory and acute care settings. Both courses were designed to provide students with multiple opportunities to offer supervised patient care and to become more comfortable and confident in their patient care skills.

FINDINGS

The coupled courses were well-received by students. Feedback indicated that students felt more comfortable in these patient care settings and in performing patient care activities as a result of these courses.

SUMMARY

These coupled courses offered multiple opportunities for students to practice patient care skills and gain valuable experience participating in activities that increased their confidence and competence at being integral members of the healthcare team. The interactions with real patients, simulated patient scenarios, standardized patients, and other members of the healthcare team helped students advance communication skills, clinical skills, and ability to identify and resolve medication-related problems in preparation for APPEs.

The Effect of Health Education by Pharmacists on 10-Year Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Cluster-Randomized Control Study in a Low Socioeconomic Status Javanese Population

BACKGROUND

Evidence from previous studies demonstrates that lifestyle modification reduces the incidence and complications of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The study aimed to investigate the effect of a lifestyle intervention provided by pharmacists on the 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk and quality of life (QoL) in a low socioeconomic status Javanese population.

METHODS

This research was a cluster-randomized controlled study of 1-year duration, conducted in a lower social economic community in the Sleman District of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The eligible subjects were dichotomized into 2 groups: 40 to 55 years (n = 61 vs 65) and 56 to 70 years (n = 21 vs 43) for intervention and control subjects, respectively. The ASCVD score and risk factors within the age-based groups were analyzed using T test/Mann-Whitney test for continuous data or chi-square test for categorical data.

RESULTS

The intervention and control subjects had similar baseline characteristics ( P > .05), including the ASCVD risk with the low- and high-risk classification for younger and elder subjects, respectively. At final follow-up, the younger intervention subjects had lower 10-year ASCVD risk ( P = .001), higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( P = .02), smoking status ( P = .001), persistence rate ( P = .03), and QoL value for the physical and social function domains ( P < .05) than the control subjects, whereas the elder intervention subjects only had better ASCVD risk score than controls ( P = .03). Smoking interacting with intervention was the most influential variable on ASCVD risk in logistic regression analysis.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrates that the health education by the pharmacists produce significant outcomes of the ASCVD risk, smoking status, and QoL of physical and social function particularly in the younger group.

Expanding the role of Australian pharmacists in community pharmacies in chronic pain management - a narrative review

Chronic pain is a condition where patients continuously experience pain symptoms for at least 3 to 6 months. It is one of the leading causes of disabilities across the globe. Failure to adequately manage chronic pain often results in additional health concerns that may directly contribute to the worsening symptoms of pain. Community pharmacists are an important healthcare resource that contributes to patient care, yet their roles in chronic pain management are often not fully utilised. This review aimed to investigate and explore pharmacist-driven chronic pain educational and medication management interventions in community pharmacies on an international level, and thereby identify if there are potential benefits in modelling and incorporating these interventions in the Australian community. We found a number of studies conducted in Europe and the United States investigated the benefits of pharmacist-driven educational and medication management interventions in the context of chronic pain management. Results demonstrated that there were improvements in the pain scores, depression/anxiety scales and physical functionality in patient groups receiving the pharmacist driven-interventions, thereby highlighting the clinical benefit of these interventions in chronic pain. In conclusion, pharmacists are trustworthy and responsible advocates for medication reviews and patient education. There are currently very limited formal nationally recognised pharmacist-driven intervention programs dedicated to chronic pain management in Australian community pharmacies. International studies have shown that pharmacist-driven chronic pain interventions undertaken in community pharmacies are of benefit with regards to alleviating pain symptoms and adverse events. Furthermore, it is also clear that research around the application of pharmacist-led chronic pain interventions in Australia is lacking. Modelling interventions that have been conducted overseas may be worth exploring in Australia. The implementation of similar intervention programs for Australian pharmacists in community pharmacies may provide enhanced clinical outcomes for patients suffering from chronic pain. The recently implemented Chronic Pain MedsCheck Trial may provide some answers.

A review of interventions ≥ 6 months by pharmacists on adherence to medicines in cardiovascular disease: Characteristics of what works and what doesn't

BACKGROUND

Nonadherence to cardiovascular medicines occurs in 60% of subjects with chronic cardiovascular disease and leads to poor outcomes. In an attempt to improve adherence and cardiovascular outcomes, interventions are often used. Interventions may involve a pharmacist, but it is not always clear whether these are effective.

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of this review is to determine whether interventions by pharmacists, alone, discussing adherence to medicines, improve adherence to medicines for cardiovascular disease. Subsequently, the review links the characteristics of the individual studies with effectiveness or lack of effect. The second objective of this review is to consider whether any improvement in adherence with interventions by pharmacist is associated with better clinical outcomes.

METHODS

A literature search of PubMed and CINAHL for 'pharmacist', 'medicine' with 'adherence' or 'compliance' or 'persistence' was undertaken. To be included in this review, papers had to be of a pharmacist working alone and in person in an intervention of subjects with hypertension, hyperlipidemia (prior to or after a coronary artery event) or heart failure. The paper had to be published in a peer review journal, with a measure of adherence to medicines. The effectiveness of the intervention had to be evaluated after ≥6 months.

RESULTS

Only 3 out of 8 interventions by pharmacists in hypertension, and 5 out of 12 interventions in subjects with hyperlipidemia led to improved adherence to medicines. In contrast, all 6 interventions by a pharmacist in subjects with heart failure were successful in improving adherence. One characteristic of successful interventions by pharmacists to improve adherence to cardiovascular medicines is that they must be more than brief/single interventions. A second characteristic is that the intervention should not involve subjects who are already highly adherent, as it is unlikely adherence can be improved in this population. Only 2 of 3 successful interventions in hypertension were associated with small reductions in blood pressure, and only one intervention in hyperlipidemia was shown to decrease LDL-cholesterol to a small extent. In subjects with heart failure, 5 of the 6 successful studies of the successful interventions by pharmacists to increase adherence also showed improved clinical outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

When planning an intervention to improve adherence to medicines and cardiovascular outcomes in subjects with hypertension or hyperlipidemic, by a pharmacist alone, or as part of a multi-faceted interventions, it is essential to use an intervention that has been shown to be effective, as most interventions are not effective at improving adherence or only improve adherence and clinical outcomes to a small extent. In heart failure, there is well documented evidence of interventions by pharmacists that do improve clinical outcomes, which should be adopted widely.

Effectiveness of pharmacist's intervention in the management of cardiovascular diseases

The pharmacist may play a relevant role in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, mainly through patient education and counselling, drug safety management, medication review, monitoring and reconciliation, detection and control of specific cardiovascular risk factors (eg, blood pressure, blood glucose, serum lipids) and clinical outcomes. Systematic reviews of randomised controlled and observational studies have documented an improved control of hypertension, dyslipidaemia or diabetes, smoking cessation and reduced hospitalisation in patients with heart failure, following a pharmacist’s intervention. Limited proof for effectiveness is available for humanistic (patient satisfaction, adherence and knowledge) and economic outcomes. A multidisciplinary approach, including medical input plus a pharmacist, specialist nurse or both, and a greater involvement of community rather than hospital pharmacists, seems to represent the most efficient and modern healthcare delivery model. However, further well-designed research is demanded in order to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the impact of pharmacist’s interventions on cardiovascular disease and to identify specific areas of impact of collaborative practice. Such research should particularly focus on the demonstration of a sensitivity to community pharmacist’s intervention. Since pharmacy services are easily accessible and widely distributed in the community setting, a maximum benefit should be expected from interventions provided in this context.

Evaluating the potential for pharmacists to prescribe oral anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation

Background

Oral anticoagulant therapy (OAC) to prevent atrial fibrillation (AF)-related strokes remains poorly used. Alternate strategies, such as community pharmacist prescribing of OAC, should be explored.

Methods

Approximately 400 pharmacists, half with additional prescribing authority (APA), randomly selected from the Alberta College of Pharmacists, were invited to participate in an online survey over a 6-week period. The survey consisted of demographics, case scenarios assessing appropriateness of OAC (based on the 2014 Canadian Cardiovascular Society AF guidelines) and perceived barriers to prescribing. Regression analysis was performed to determine predictors of knowledge.

Results

A total of 35% (139/397) of pharmacists responded to the survey, and 57% of these had APA. Depending on the case scenario, 55% to 92% of pharmacists correctly identified patients eligible for stroke prevention therapy, but only about a half selected the appropriate antithrombotic agent; there was no difference in the knowledge according to APA status. In multivariable analysis, predictors significantly associated with guideline-concordant prescribing were having the pharmacist interact as part of an interprofessional team (p = 0.04) and direct OAC (DOAC) self-efficacy (confidence in ability to extend, adapt, initiate or alter prescriptions; p = 0.02). Barriers to prescribing OAC for APA pharmacists included a lack of AF and DOAC knowledge and preference for consulting the physician first, but these same pharmacists also identified difficulty in contacting the physician as a major barrier.

Interpretation and Conclusion

Community pharmacists can identify patients who would benefit from stroke prevention therapy in AF. However, physician collaboration and further training on AF and guidelines for prescribing OAC are needed.

A Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Community Pharmacy Services Aimed at the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and has a substantial impact on people's health and quality of life. CVD also causes an increased use of health care resources and services, representing a significant proportion of health care expenditure. Integrating evidence-based community pharmacy services is seen as an asset to reduce the burden of CVD on individuals and the health care system.

OBJECTIVES

To (a) identify community pharmacy evidence-based services designed to help prevent CVD and (b) provide fundamental information that is needed to assess their potential adaptation to other community pharmacy settings.

METHODS

This review used the DEPICT database, which includes 488 randomized controlled trials (RCT) that address the evaluation of pharmacy services. Articles reviewing these RCTs were identified for the DEPICT database through a systematic search of the following databases: MEDLINE, Scopus, SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), and DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals). The DEPICT database was reviewed to identify evidence-based services delivered in the community pharmacy setting with the purpose of preventing CVD. An evidence-based service was defined as a service that has been shown to have a positive effect (compared with usual care) in a high-quality RCT. From each evidence-based service, fundamental information was retrieved to facilitate adaptation to other community pharmacy settings.

RESULTS

From the DEPICT database, 14 evidence-based community pharmacy services that addressed the prevention of CVD were identified. All services, except 1, targeted populations with a mean age above 60 years. Pharmacy services encompassed a wide range of practical applications or techniques that can be classified into 3 groups: activities directed at patients, activities directed at health care professionals, and assessments to gather patient-related information in order to support the previous activities.

CONCLUSIONS

This review provides pharmacy service planners and policymakers with a comprehensive list of evidence-based services that have the potential to be adapted to different settings from which they were originally implemented and evaluated in order to reduce the burden of CVD.

DISCLOSURES

Funding for this review was provided by the University of Technology Sydney Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded to Sabater-Hernández. No other potential conflict of interest was declared. Study concept and design were contributed by Sabater-Hernández, Fernandez-Llimos, Rotta, and Correr. Sabater-Galindo and Sabater-Hernández took the lead in data collection, along with Franco-Trigo and Rotta. Data interpretation was performed by Sabater-Hernández, Durks, and Lopes. The manuscript was written primarily by Sabater-Hernández, along with Hossain, and revised by Fernandez-Llimos, Rotta, and Benrimoj, with assistance from Durks, Sabater-Galindo, Franco-Trigo, and Correr.

Detection of people at risk of diabetes in community pharmacies of Pontevedra (Spain) (DEDIPO)

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to detect people at risk of suffering diabetes or changes in carbohydrate metabolism and to refer them for possible diagnosis to health care centres. The number of diagnoses and costs for the pharmacy were recorded.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in community pharmacies in Pontevedra in September-October of 2014. The Findrisc questionnaire was completed by pharmacy users over 18 years old. If Findrisc score was ≥ 15, capillary blood glucose was measured, and the participant was referred to a physician if the value was ≥110mg/dL. The main variables included score in the Findrisc questionnaire, number of diabetes diagnosed, and cost of the service. Differences between the groups were calculated using a Chi-squared test, a Student's t test, and/or a Wilcoxon test.

RESULTS

This study was conducted in 180 pharmacies on a sample of 4,222 users, including 992 (23.5%) with a high or very high risk of diabetes (F≥15). In the 1,060 basal capillary blood glucose tests performed, mean glucose level was 110.2 (SD=20.4)mg/dL (56-254). The Galician Health Service sent information about 83 of the 384 (9.1%) subjects referred to a physician: 28 (33.7%) of them were diagnosed with diabetes (3.1% of the sample), and 26 (31.3%) were diagnosed with prediabetes (2.8% of the sample). Cost per diagnosed subject was € 184.22 per subject with diabetes and € 96.86 per subject with prediabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

The proportion of subjects with new diagnosis of diabetes (3.1%) shows the high efficiency of a screening program for hidden diabetics implemented at community pharmacies as the one presented here.

Financial remuneration is positively correlated with the number of clinical activities: an example from diabetes management in Alberta community pharmacies

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether use of a compensation plan to remunerate pharmacists for clinical pharmacy services was associated with the number of diabetes management activities provided.

METHODS

Alberta pharmacists were asked about compensation plan use and frequency they provide a list of 80 diabetes management activities.

KEY FINDINGS

A total of 168 community pharmacists responded to the survey. When compensation plan use, diabetes-specific training, practice characteristics and additional authorizations were incorporated into a factorial ANOVA, pharmacists who used the compensation plan reported a mean of 42.9 (95% CI 39.4 to 46.4) diabetes management activities, while those who did not reported a mean of 29.9 (95% CI 21.4 to 38.4) activities (P = 0.016).

CONCLUSIONS

After considering other important influencing factors, use of the compensation plan is positively correlated with the number of diabetes management activities pharmacists provided.

Factors Affecting Number of Diabetes Management Activities Provided by Pharmacists

BACKGROUND

Legislative changes since 2007 have given Alberta pharmacists additional authorizations and new practice settings, which should enhance provision of clinical services to patients. This study examined whether these changes are related to the number of diabetes management activities provided by pharmacists.

METHODS

Cross-sectional surveys of Alberta pharmacists were conducted in 2006 and 2015. Both questionnaires contained 63 diabetes management activities, with response options to indicate how frequently the activity was provided. Respondents were grouped by survey year, practice setting, diabetes-specific training and additional authorizations. The number of diabetes management activities provided often or always were compared among groups by using analysis of variance.

RESULTS

Data from 128 pharmacists participating in the 2006 survey were compared with 256 pharmacists participating in the 2015 survey; overall mean age was 41.6 (±10.9) years, 245 (64%) were women, mean duration of practice was 16.1 (±11.8) years, 280 (73%) were community pharmacists, 75 (20%) were certified diabetes educators (CDEs), and 100 (26%) had additional prescribing authorization (APA). Pharmacists provided a mean of 28.7 (95% CI 26.3 to 31.2) diabetes management activities in 2006 and 35.2 (95% CI 33.4-37.0) activities in 2015 (p<0.001). Pharmacists who were CDEs provided significantly more activities compared to other pharmacists (p<0.001). In 2015, working in a primary care network and having APA were also associated with provision of more activities (p<0.05 for both comparisons).

CONCLUSIONS

Pharmacists provided more diabetes management activities in 2015 than in 2006. The number of diabetes management activities was also associated with being a CDE, working in a primary care network or having APA.

Do community pharmacists actively engage elderly patients in the dialogue? Results from pharmaceutical care consultations

BACKGROUND

Little is known about community pharmacist-patient interaction within a consultation room, particularly in terms of patient activation and engagement.

OBJECTIVE

To explore pharmacists' communication and attitudes while providing advanced medication-related services.

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive study, using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) framework, to analyse a sample of audio-recorded pharmaceutical care consultations with elderly patients.

RESULTS

Around 15.0 per cent of pharmacists' utterances and 3.6 per cent of patients' were related to engagement with the latter during the exchange. To improve health outcomes, such as adherence to a therapeutic regime, pharmacists should augment patients' participation in the dialogue, facilitating concerns and disclosure of doubts, thus improving correct medication use behaviour.

Support for community pharmacy-based alcohol interventions: a Scottish general public survey

BACKGROUND

Community pharmacy teams are recognised by health agencies as vital to increasing capacity in the provision of public health services. Public awareness and support of these services in general, and relating to safe alcohol consumption in particular, have yet to be established. This study aimed to determine the Scottish general public's views regarding the role and involvement of community pharmacists in reducing alcohol consumption amongst customers and alcohol-related harm.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of 6000 adults in Scotland randomly sampled from the electoral register. The piloted questionnaire contained items on: those health professions which could potentially advise on safer alcohol consumption; areas of safer alcohol consumption on which pharmacists could advise; attitudes towards pharmacist involvement; and demographics.

RESULTS

Of the 1573 respondents (a 26.6% response rate), more than half (56.4%, 888) agreed that pharmacists could advise on safer alcohol consumption. Those agreeing expressed high levels of support (≥70% agreement) for all activities, particularly referring people to other individuals or organisations, discussing recommended alcohol consumption limits and how consumption may affect health. There was a high level of agreement of trust that pharmacists would discuss issues confidentially (68.7%, 1080), with a similar proportion (64.3%, 1011) agreeing that they would be concerned over privacy in a community pharmacy.

CONCLUSION

Public support exists for pharmacist involvement in reducing alcohol consumption amongst customers and alcohol-related harm, with some concern over privacy. These findings warrant consideration as models of practice are developed and evaluated. Given the widespread availability of pharmacies and the ease of access to professional advice, there is potential for pharmacists to impact safer alcohol consumption although the efficacy of alcohol brief interventions remains to be demonstrated.

Challenges in the care of clients with established cardiovascular disease: lessons learned from Australian community pharmacists

Background

As primary healthcare professionals, community pharmacists have both opportunity and potential to contribute to the prevention and progression of chronic diseases. Using cardiovascular disease (CVD) as a case study, we explored factors that influence community pharmacists’ everyday practice in this area. We also propose a model to best illustrate relationships between influencing factors and the scope of community pharmacy practice in the care of clients with established CVD.

Methods

In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 community pharmacists in New South Wales, Australia. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed ad verbatim, and analysed using a “grounded-theory” approach.

Results

Our model shows that community pharmacists work within a complex system and their practice is influenced by interactions between three main domains: the “people” factors, including their own attitudes and beliefs as well as those of clients and doctors; the “environment” within and beyond the control of community pharmacy; and outcomes of their professional care. Despite the complexity of factors and interactions, our findings shed some light on the interrelationships between these various influences. The overarching obstacle to maximizing the community pharmacists’ contribution is the lack of integration within health systems. However, achieving better integration of community pharmacists in primary care is a challenge since the systems of remuneration for healthcare professional services do not currently support this integration.

Conclusion

Tackling chronic diseases such as CVD requires mobilization of all sources of support in the community through innovative policies which facilitate inter-professional collaboration and team care to achieve the best possible healthcare outcomes for society.

Does hospitalization influence patients' medication adherence and community pharmacists' interventions?

BACKGROUND

Medication adherence reduces disease morbidity. Data regarding changes in a patient's adherence before and after hospitalization and how this hospitalization influences a pharmacist's interventions are scarce.

OBJECTIVE

To assess changes in adherence to cardiovascular and respiratory medications in the year preceding and following a hospitalization; explore patients' perceptions about medication adherence and the pharmacist's role; and describe pharmacists' interventions regarding medication adherence.

METHODS

This cohort study included patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome, acute worsening of heart failure, or acute COPD exacerbations. Adherence to cardiovascular and respiratory medications was measured by calculating the proportion of days covered (PDC) from prescription refills. Patient interviews were completed to explore their perceptions about medication adherence and the role of the pharmacist. Community pharmacists were invited to complete an online survey and to participate in focus groups to discuss interventions to improve medication adherence.

RESULTS

Medication adherence was assessed for 61 patients; the mean PDC was 69.8% 12 months before hospitalization and 72.4% 12 months following hospitalization. Patients reported that they felt the need to take their medications to prevent worsening of their disease. They were satisfied with current pharmaceutical services. A total of 136 questionnaires completed by pharmacists were analyzed and 9 participants attended the focus groups. Most pharmacists reported monitoring prescription renewals to assess adherence, with no significant influence from the hospitalization itself. The patient's interest was reported to be an important facilitator, whereas a lack of time and face-to-face interaction with patients who had their medication delivered to their home was reported a main barrier to interventions. This study was limited by a small sample size.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient medication adherence did not significantly change following hospitalization. Hospitalization does not appear to significantly influence patient and pharmacist behavior towards medication adherence.

Challenges and opportunities for nutrition education and training in the health care professions: intraprofessional and interprofessional call to action

Understanding and applying nutrition knowledge and skills to all aspects of health care are extremely important, and all health care professions need basic training to effectively assess dietary intake and provide appropriate guidance, counseling, and treatment to their patients. With obesity rates at an all-time high and the increasing prevalence of diabetes projected to cost the Federal government billions of dollars, the need for interprofessional nutrition education is paramount. Physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, dentists, dental hygienists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, and others can positively affect patient care by synchronizing and reinforcing the importance of nutrition across all specialty areas. Although nutrition is a critical component of acute and chronic disease management, as well as health and wellness across the health care professions, each profession must reevaluate its individual nutrition-related professional competencies before the establishment of meaningful interprofessional collaborative nutrition competencies. This article discusses gaps in nutrition education and training within individual health professions (ie, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, and dietetics) and offers suggestions for educators, clinicians, researchers, and key stakeholders on how to build further capacity within the individual professions for basic and applied nutrition education. This "gaps methodology" can be applied to all health professions, including physician assistants, physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, and occupational therapists.

Community pharmacies automation: any impact on counselling duration and job satisfaction?

BACKGROUND

One key indicator of the quality of health practitioners-patient interaction is the encounters' duration. Automation have been presented as beneficial to pharmacy staff work with patients and thus with a potential impact on pharmacists' and technicians' job satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the interaction length between pharmacy staff and patients, as well as their job satisfaction, in community pharmacies with and without automation.

SETTING

Portuguese community pharmacies with and without automation.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study followed a quasi-experimental design, divided in two phases. In the first, paired community pharmacies with and without automation were purposively selected for a non-participant overt observation. The second phase comprised a job satisfaction questionnaire of both pharmacists and technical staff. Practitioners and patients demographic and interactional data, as well as job satisfaction, were statistically compared across automation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Interaction length and job satisfaction.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight practitioners from 10 automated and non-automated pharmacies produced 721 registered interaction episodes. Automation had no significant influence in interaction duration, controlling for gender and professional categories, being significantly longer with older patients (p = 0.017). On average, staff working at the pharmacy counter had 45 % of free time from direct patient contact. The mean overall satisfaction in this sample was 5.52 (SD = 0.98) out of a maximum score of seven, with no significant differences with automation as well as between professional categories, only with a significant lower job satisfaction for younger pharmacists.

CONCLUSION

As with previous studies in other settings, duration of the interactions was not influenced by pharmacy automation, as well as practitioners' job satisfaction, while practitioners' time constrains seem to be a subjective perception.

Australian community pharmacists' awareness and practice in supporting secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND

Pharmacists are well placed to identify, prevent and resolve medicine related problems as well as monitor the effectiveness of treatments in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Pharmacists' interventions in CVD secondary prevention have been shown to improve outcomes for clients with established CVD.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the scope of pharmacists' activities in supporting CVD secondary prevention.

SETTING

Community pharmacies in New South Wales, Australia.

METHODS

Twenty-one in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a range of community pharmacists were conducted. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed ad verbatim. Data were analyzed using a 'grounded-theory' approach by applying methods of constant comparison.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Community pharmacists' awareness and current practice in supporting secondary prevention of CVD.

RESULTS

Four key themes identified included 'awareness', 'patient counselling', 'patient monitoring', and 'perceptions of the role of pharmacists in CVD secondary prevention'. The pharmacists demonstrated a moderate understanding of CVD secondary prevention. There was considerable variability in the scope of practice among the participants, ranging from counselling only about medicines to providing continuity of care. A minority of pharmacists who had negative beliefs about their roles in CVD secondary prevention offered limited support to their clients. The majority of pharmacists, however, believed that they have an important role to play in supporting clients with established CVD.

CONCLUSION

Community pharmacists in Australia make a contribution to the care of clients with established CVD despite the gap in their knowledge and understanding of CVD secondary prevention. The scope of practice in CVD secondary prevention ranged from only counselling about medicines to offering continuity of care. The extent of pharmacists' involvement in offering disease management appears to be influenced by their beliefs regarding what is required within their scope of practice.

A Tool to Characterize the Components of Pharmacist Interventions in Clinical Pharmacy Services: The DEPICT Project

BACKGROUND

The complexity of clinical pharmacy services usually leads to an inconsistent or even poor description of their interventions in scientific reports. To ensure comparability and reproducibility of the evidence, an in-depth description of pharmacist interventions is required.

OBJECTIVE

To validate a new tool called DEPICT (Descriptive Elements of Pharmacist Intervention Characterization Tool) to characterize clinical pharmacy services.

METHODS

We developed a 3-phase study. First, to create a theoretical framework, an overview of systematic reviews was performed in PubMed between 2000 and 2010. Then, an in-depth analysis of the included studies was carried out to identify a list of components in order to create the instrument. Finally, 2 independent raters separately applied the tool to a random sample of 28 randomized clinical trials extracted from the systematic reviews. Interrater agreement was evaluated using PABAK (prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted κ) coefficient or intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

RESULTS

We included 49 systematic reviews in our overview. Analysis of these studies resulted in 58 intervention components, with 57 dichotomous variables and 1 discrete variable. These items resulted in a preliminary version of the instrument. The reliability analysis showed that 8 binary items of this version had a PABAK less than or equal to 0.60. These items were then excluded or modified, resulting in a final version of the tool, with 54 items organized into 12 domains. DEPICT showed an average PABAK of 0.85 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.88) and an ICC of 1.0. Twenty items presented a PABAK value between 0.61 and 0.80 (substantial agreement) and 33 had a value between 0.81 and 1.0 (almost perfect agreement).

CONCLUSIONS

DEPICT is a reproducible instrument for describing the components of pharmacist interventions performed as part of clinical pharmacy services. It allows retrospective analysis of published studies and can be used as a reference guide to report pharmacist interventions in future studies.

Effect of a pharmacist intervention in Spanish community pharmacies on blood pressure control in hypertensive patients

PURPOSE

The effect of a protocol-based pharmacist intervention on blood pressure (BP) control among treated hypertensive patients who use community pharmacies was studied.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental study with a control group was conducted at 13 community pharmacies in Jaén and Granada in Spain. Hypertensive patients over age 18 years who were receiving antihypertensive treatment were eligible for participation. The protocol-based intervention consisted of three components: (1) patient education about hypertension, (2) home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM), and (3) referral to a physician through personalized reports when necessary. The control group received the standard of care. BP control was assessed at the beginning and end of the study. Results Data were collected from 176 patients. In the intervention group (n = 87), significant baseline-to-endpoint reductions in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were observed: 6.8 mm Hg (p < 0.001) and 2.1 mm Hg (p = 0.032), respectively. The changes in SBP and DBP in the intervention group at the end of the study were significantly greater than those in the control group (difference between adjusted mean change, 5.7 mm Hg for SBP [p = 0.001] and 2.6 mm Hg for DBP [p = 0.013]). The odds of achieving BP control in the intervention group was 2.46 times higher than in the control group (95% confidence interval, 1.15-5.24; p = 0.020).

CONCLUSION

A protocol-based community pharmacist intervention in combination with HBPM significantly reduced SBP and DBP and increased the percentage of patients with controlled BP compared with patients receiving the standard of care.

Non-adherence in type 2 diabetes: practical considerations for interpreting the literature

The rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes poses a serious threat to human health and the viability of many health care systems around the world. Although several prescription medications can play a vital role in controlling symptoms and preventing complications, non-adherence to these therapies is highly prevalent and has been linked to increases in morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Although a vast array of significant adherence predictors has been identified, the ability to explain or predict non-adherence with known risk-factors remains poor. Further, the definitions, outcomes, and various measures used in the non-adherence literature can be misleading for the unfamiliar reviewer. In this narrative review, a practical overview of important considerations for interpreting adherence endpoints and measures is discussed. Also, an organizational framework is proposed to consider published adherence interventions. This framework may allow for a unique appreciation into areas of limited knowledge and thus highlights targets for future research.

Pharmacist interventions to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors in diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assesses the effect of pharmacist care on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among outpatients with diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched. Pharmacist interventions were classified, and a meta-analysis of mean changes of blood pressure (BP), total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and BMI was performed using random-effects models.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis included 15 RCTs (9,111 outpatients) in which interventions were conducted exclusively by pharmacists in 8 studies and in collaboration with physicians, nurses, dietitians, or physical therapists in 7 studies. Pharmacist interventions included medication management, educational interventions, feedback to physicians, measurement of CVD risk factors, or patient-reminder systems. Compared with usual care, pharmacist care was associated with significant reductions for systolic BP (12 studies with 1,894 patients; -6.2 mmHg [95% CI -7.8 to -4.6]); diastolic BP (9 studies with 1,496 patients; -4.5 mmHg [-6.2 to -2.8]); TC (8 studies with 1,280 patients; -15.2 mg/dL [-24.7 to -5.7]); LDL cholesterol (9 studies with 8,084 patients; -11.7 mg/dL [-15.8 to -7.6]); and BMI (5 studies with 751 patients; -0.9 kg/m(2) [-1.7 to -0.1]). Pharmacist care was not associated with a significant change in HDL cholesterol (6 studies with 826 patients; 0.2 mg/dL [-1.9 to 2.4]).

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis supports pharmacist interventions-alone or in collaboration with other health care professionals-to improve major CVD risk factors among outpatients with diabetes.

The MyHealthCheckup study: Training graduate students to implement cardiovascular risk screening programs in community pharmacies

BACKGROUND

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Despite this fact and the development of effective antihypertensive drug therapy, hypertension is often poorly controlled. Community pharmacies are an ideal site for the management of hypertension and other modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. The purpose of the current study was to develop and assess a pharmacy-based cardiovascular risk screening program implemented by graduate students.

METHODS

Four graduate students trained as health coaches screened a convenience sample of adults who were interested in cardiovascular risk assessment in 21 Montreal area pharmacies. On the screening day, we assessed cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, used the Cardiovascular Life Expectancy Model, which includes cardiovascular age, to inform patients of their personalized risk profile, delivered an individualized health coaching intervention and conducted a participant satisfaction survey. This was followed by an individualized health coaching intervention. The intervention program was implemented by trained graduate students and supported by pharmacists.

RESULTS

Among the 238 patients who participated (57% female, mean age 60.6 years), 67% had a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 kg/m(2), 52% had abdominal obesity, 58% reported insufficient physical activity and 14% were smokers. A total of 120 patients (51%) were taking antihypertensive medication, yet 63 (53%) had blood pressure readings above currently accepted targets. Higher BMI and physical inactivity were associated with increased rates of poorly controlled hypertension.

CONCLUSION

The screening program identified individuals with modifiable cardiovascular risk factors and poorly controlled hypertension. The intervention program was well received by participants and the majority provided contact information for future cardiovascular screening clinics. These findings support the feasibility of screening programs run by graduate students in the pharmacy setting.