Pharmacist-directed care or in collaboration with physicians or nurses improve the management of major CVD risk factors in out patients
BACKGROUND Pharmacists may improve the clinical management of major risk factors for cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) prevention .
A systematic review was conducted to determine the impact of pharmacist care on the management of  CVD risk factors among out patients .
Control of modifiable risk factors in ischemic stroke outpatients by pharmacist intervention: an equal allocation stratified randomized study.
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the adequacy of management of modifiable risk factors ( MRF ) in a group of ischemic stroke out patients and the value of pharmacist intervention in a r and omized controlled study in a tertiary referral hospital . METHODS 160 ischemic stroke out patients from the same catchment area and with the same financial arrangements for healthcare , went through a 6-month equal allocation stratified r and omized study . Routine practice was not altered except for a monthly 1-hour pharmacist-intervention education programme . We evaluated the differences in blood pressure ( BP ) , blood glucose and lipid profiles before and after study . The proportion of patients with adequate management of MRF  was studied . RESULTS There were no differences in the demographic characteristics , MRF and medications prescribed throughout the study . Before the study , the proportions of adequate control of BP in the control and intervention groups were 43 % vs. 40 % ( P = 0.64 ) , lipid 27 % vs. 13 % ( P = 0.09 ) and glucose 36 % vs. 21 % ( P = 0.15 ) . At the end of the study , the corresponding proportions were for BP 43 % vs. 83 % ( P = 0.00 ) , lipid 27 % vs. 40 % ( P = 0.16 ) and glucose 46 % vs. 35 % ( P = 0.40 ) . CONCLUSION Pharmacist intervention was associated with improved BP control but not with the other MRF . Earlier initiation and longer duration of intervention may improve the outcome further , and whether targeting of high-risk subjects may be particularly rewarding is worthy of investigation
Pharmacist-directed care or in collaboration with physicians or nurses improve the management of major CVD risk factors in out patients
BACKGROUND Pharmacists may improve the clinical management of major risk factors for cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) prevention .
A systematic review was conducted to determine the impact of pharmacist care on the management of  CVD risk factors among out patients .