Scottish heart failure project gains £300,000 award of lottery funding
A pharmacist-led project in Glasgow has been granted £300,000 of lottery funds over three years to tackle heart failure.
The successful bid was co-ordinated by Richard Lowrie, lead primary care
pharmacist, Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust, and Steve McGlynn,
principal pharmacist and clinical lecturer, North Glasgow University
Hospitals NHS Trust and Strathclyde University. Mr Lowrie told The
Journal: “Heart
failure is still an area of unmet need and this was why the money was
granted. Prognosis for heart failure patients is worse than for most
forms of cancers and it is becoming more common as more people survive
heart attacks.”
Over the next few months, three pharmacists will be recruited to the
project: two to work in primary care and one for secondary care. All
patients with heart failure at the 216 general practices in Glasgow will
be offered a medication review by a primary care pharmacist. This will
involve about 5,000 patients.
The primary care pharmacists will work closely with the secondary care
pharmacist whose role will be in optimising pre-discharge medication
and co-ordinating care between hospital and community settings. Developing
links between primary and secondary care is a key
part of the project. Mr Lowrie explained that this will be through regular
meetings and referrals between the care settings. Mr McGlynn added: “With
the first cohort of pharmacists undergoing supplementary prescribing
training in Scotland, this type of development will provide opportunities
for pharmacists to develop their role in the care of patients with heart
disease.”
Funding for the project was granted last week by the New Opportunities Fund, a lottery distributor that awards money to health, education and
environment projects. The funding will be divided between secondary care
(which will get one-third) and primary care (two-thirds). Advertisements
for the new pharmacist positions will appear in The Journal shortly and
it is hoped that the project will begin in early 2004.
The project will not stop after three years. Mr Lowrie said that in future,
community pharmacists should be able to carry out medication reviews.
The local health board has agreed to fund one pharmacist after the project
ends to help this transition. The project will also tie into a well-established
heart failure liaison nurse service for patients discharged after an
admission to hospital for heart failure. |
