Community-based pharmacy anticoagulation clinics could help the National Health Service save 5,000 lives and £24m a year, according to the National Pharmaceutical Association.
The claim is based on a Lancet report (October 10, 1998, pp1167-71) that only 20 per cent of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients in England and Wales receive anticoagulation therapy, although 50 per cent would benefit. Data compiled by the NPA suggest that over 21,000 AF related strokes occur each year in England and Wales and that 5,000 of them could be prevented, saving the NHS £24,311,832.
The NPA is now producing letters for local pharmaceutical committees to send to NHS managers and clinicians to highlight the benefits of anticoagulation clinics in community pharmacies. Briefing packs are also to be sent to LPCs to help them formulate a case for the clinics. Training is to be made available for interested pharmacists to ensure that they are competent to take on the role.
The NPA initiative began earlier in the year when LPCs were asked to provide population breakdowns for their health authorities and primary care groups. These were then used to calculate the number of AF patients in the population and the number of AF related strokes that could be avoided.