The VRR-Community Pharmacy project invites community pharmacists to submit an expression of interest to participate in this initiative. Please access the link to the project abstract, and consider this opportunity in your practice. Payment for screening, assessment, planning and monitoring is proposed within the Provincial Pharmacy Services Framework.
This project provides opportunities for patients and for community pharmacists. The outcomes of this project will inform future opportunities to include community pharmacists in chronic disease management strategies being developed through other AHS Strategic Clinical Pathways.
The goal of the VRR-community pharmacy project is to implement a broad-based cardiovascular risk factor screening and intervention initiated by community pharmacists with the following proposed objectives:
- Increase in number of patients screened for cardiovascular (CV) risk.
- Increase in proportion of patients receiving appropriate blood pressure (BP), cholesterol and diabetes medication.
- Reduce cardiovascular risk as measured by change in CV Age (from baseline to 6 month follow-up), LDL-c, TC/HDL, blood pressure, HbA1 and smoking cessation.
- Assess the efficacy of case-finding mechanisms or vulnerable patient population reach.
It has been well documented that pharmacist-directed care or in collaboration with physicians or nurses improves the management of major vascular risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, tobacco use). Research in Alberta has also demonstrated pharmacists can play a major role in preventive health care in the community and care provided by a pharmacist and nurse team results in improved cardiovascular risk and cost savings. In addition to the economic and clinical benefit, there is high feasibility for community pharmacy-based programs.
