Development of a pharmacist collaborative care program for pulmonary arterial hypertension

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pharmacology
• Patient Education

Background:

• Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) necessitates comprehensive, multidisciplinary patient care.
• Integrating pharmacists into care teams can optimize patient education and medication management for PAH patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation and structure of a Pharmacist Collaborative Care Program (PCCP) for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) patients.
• To highlight the educational, psychosocial, and technical interventions provided by pharmacists within the PCCP.

Main Methods:

• The PCCP involves pharmacists conducting 'educational diagnoses' and providing tailored education sessions.
• Pharmacists evaluate patient skills, offer feedback to the multidisciplinary team via reports and meetings, and conduct follow-up re-evaluations.
• The program was implemented in a PAH referral center in Grenoble, France, starting in 2007.

Main Results:

• The PCCP has become an established practice in Grenoble for managing PAH patients.
• Pharmacist interventions focus on enhancing patient understanding and self-management of PAH.
• The program facilitates improved communication and feedback loops within the multidisciplinary care team.

Conclusions:

• The Pharmacist Collaborative Care Program (PCCP) demonstrates a successful model for integrating pharmacists into PAH multidisciplinary care.
• This established practice can serve as a template for future pharmacist-led patient education initiatives in France and potentially other regions.
• Pharmacist involvement is crucial for improving educational and medication adherence outcomes in complex chronic diseases like PAH.