The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7206 p62
13 July 2002
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The Pharmaceutical Journal |
Community care winner
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The winners in the community care category received a cheque for £1,000: (left to right) Mohammed Ibrahim, Barbara Ashby (primary care co-ordinator) and Andrew Burr |
Iain Ashby, MRPharmS (pharmacy manager), Andrew Burr, MRPharmS (pharmaceutical consultant), Michael Burr, MRPharmS (pharmacy manager), Mohammed Ibrahim, MRPharmS (primary care pharmacist), Primary Care Pharmacy, Tamworth, Staffordshire
A medicines management service for patients with hypertension and coronary heart disease was the winning entry in the community care section.
The initiative involved providing medication reviews in a community pharmacy setting to patients who were either referred to the service by their GP or who were concerned about their condition or medication regimen. As part of the service, pharmacists performed lipid profile tests and used trans-telephonic blood pressure monitors to identify problems or confirm control of hypertension. Results from these tests were forwarded to patients' GPs within minutes, either by fax or e-mail.
During their review, patients were counselled on the use of their medicines and potential problems and adverse drug reactions were identified. Andrew Burr, who presented the project, explained that every patient who registered with the scheme gave written informed consent for the pharmacist to have full access to their medical records. A dedicated call centre, run by pharmacists, is also available to support patients and to provide follow-up, including booking appointments.
Through the initiative, many patients with uncontrolled hypertension and elevated cholesterol levels have been identified. In some cases this was found to be because of non-compliance.
The main aim of the initiative is to enable all pharmacists to offer such a service.
A similar service for diabetes patients is to be rolled out.
The runners up in the community care category: (left to right) Marion Storrie, Fiona Reid and Pat Murray |
Implementation of a multidisciplinary approach for clinical management of hypertensive patients in primary care
Fiona Reid, MRPharmS (pharmacist for hypertension management, Newbyres Medical Group, Gorebridge, Midlothian), Marion Storrie, MBChB (clinical director, Midlothian Health Care Co-operative), Pat Murray, MRPharmS (chief pharmacist, Lothian Primary Care NHS Trust)
A pharmacist-led hypertension management clinic and a community pharmacy-based repeat dispensing service for patients with essential hypertension have been set up in the Lothian area. The clinical impact of these services on the management of hypertension in primary care is being evaluated.
Interim results show that of the 142 patients recruited to the study, 33 had established cardiovascular disease and were eligible for secondary prevention therapy and 109 patients were assessed for primary prevention therapy, 74 of whom merited treatment with aspirin and 24 with a statin. The number of patients receiving aspirin has increased from 13 at the start of the study to 58, and the number of patients receiving statins has increased from two to 22.
Currently the clinic is being run from one medical practice served by four community pharmacies. From August, it will be extended to include another practice served by the same four pharmacies.
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