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 .
A cluster randomized trial to evaluate physician/pharmacist collaboration to improve blood pressure control.
This was a prospect i ve , cluster r and omized controlled trial in patients with uncontrolled hypertension aged 21 to 85 years ( mean , 61 years ) .  Pharmacists made recommendations to physicians for patients in the intervention clinics ( n=101 ) but not patients in the control clinics ( n=78 ) . The mean adjusted difference in systolic blood pressure ( BP ) between the control and intervention groups was 8.7 mm Hg ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 4.4 - 12.9 ) , while the difference in diastolic BP was 5.4 mm Hg ( CI , 2.8 - 8.0 ) at 9 months . The 24-hour BP levels showed similar effects , with a mean systolic BP level that was 8.8 mm Hg lower ( CI , 5.0 - 12.6 ) and a mean diastolic BP level that was 4.6 mm Hg ( CI , 2.4 - 6.8 ) lower in the intervention group . BP was controlled in 89.1 % of patients in the intervention group and 52.9 % in the control group ( adjusted odds ratio , 8.9 ; CI , 3.8 - 20.7 ; P<.001 ) . Physician/pharmacist collaboration achieved significantly better mean BP values and overall BP control rates , primarily by intensification of medication therapy and improving patient adherence
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 .