Pharmacists might soon be leaving the confines of their drug-filled fortresses to work alongside primary care physicians. Two studies indicate that adding pharmacists to the primary care team for joint care management increases medical benefits.
In an American Diabetes Association report, researchers analyze the impact of pharmacists on controlling hypertension and other cardiovascular health issues in patients with type 2 diabetes. Over a six-year period, the multidisciplinary team monitored 260 patients' blood pressure at Edmonton, Alberta-are primary care clinics, 153 of whom were not adequately controlling their hypertension.
Study participants achieved an approximate 10% decrease in systolic blood pressure within one year, which translates into a 3% reduction in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by patients who received intervention, according to according to co-author Scot H. Simpson, BSP, PharmD, MSc.
"Pharmacists can take responsibility to monitor the effects of drug therapy and, working in collaboration with the physician and other members of the healthcare team, recommend alternatives to resolve or prevent drug-related problems," says Simpson, faculty of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Alberta. "Pharmacists can use their knowledge of pharmacology, therapeutics and drug interactions to recommend different treatment options, change dosages or add drugs when patients are not achieving guideline-based treatment targets."
Additionally, the presence of a pharmacist tended improve patients' adherence to medications, according to Simpson. "One of the most surprising observations was that approximately 40 percent of patients had changes to their antihypertensive medications, yet we saw a significant improvement in blood pressure control for the intervention group," he says.
A report in the Archives of Internal Medicine indicates that when pharmacists collaborate with physicians to find the best medication treatments, as well as advise on lifestyle and dietary improvements, they are able to significantly lower ambulatory care patients' blood pressure.
The study found that three-fourths of participants who encountered both a physician and pharmacist were able to lower 24-hour blood pressure readings to within an acceptable range, compared with only half who achieved the same results in situations where only the physician was present.
While research has shown that physician-pharmacist collaboration is a good thing for patients, there are still challenges—including the appropriate compensation strategies—to integrating pharmacists into this environment.
In Alberta, where the diabetes-blood pressure study was conducted, the establishment of primary care networks has already created an opportunity for pharmacists and other allied healthcare professionals to become active members of primary care teams, according to Simpson. "Salaries for these clinicians are paid out of a central budget for the network."
Perhaps this research is just what's needed to encourage the greater adoption of multidisciplinary care teams that have generated so much interest in the United States over the last several months.
See Also:
Scanning Medication Reduces Errors, Hospital Says
Hospital Creates Electronic Medication List to Achieve Consistency, Help Patients
Medication Vending Machines Offer Patient Convenience In Rural Areas
The ROI of Pharmacogenomics
Margaret Dick Tocknell is a reporter/editor with HealthLeaders Media.
