Cardiovascular Risk Reduction by Pharmacists at the Workplace

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Public Health
• Preventative Medicine

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) poses a significant burden in the USA, impacting healthcare systems and society.
• A substantial portion of CVD is preventable, highlighting the need for enhanced primary prevention strategies.
• Employer-based health programs offer a potential avenue for delivering preventative care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evidence on pharmacists' role in primary CVD prevention.
• To examine the effectiveness of pharmacist-led interventions within employer-sponsored programs.

Main Methods:

• Evaluation of a 12-month pharmacist-led preventative health program (CAMMPUS) involving 178 at-risk employees.
• Assessment of changes in Framingham risk scores (FRS), quality of life, and medication adherence.

Main Results:

• The CAMMPUS program led to a significant reduction in FRS (11.7 to 10.7, p=0.0017).
• Improvements were observed in quality of life (p=0.023) and medication adherence (p=0.019).
• Findings align with other pharmacist-led trials and demonstrate success in an employer-based setting.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacist-led interventions effectively reduce CVD risk factors and improve medication adherence.
• Employer-sponsored CVD prevention programs delivered by pharmacists may be a viable and beneficial model.
• Further research is warranted to define the public health impact of pharmacists in preventative care settings.