Project IMPACT Cardiovascular Health+: Pharmacy services for better cardiovascular health

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Public Health
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is a primary cause of stroke and often goes undiagnosed.
• Pharmacists are accessible healthcare providers with expertise in cardiovascular risk and social determinants of health (SDOH).

Purpose of the Study:

• Establish community pharmacy as an access point for Afib screening.
• Enhance access to medication therapy management (MTM) for cardiovascular risk reduction.
• Address SDOH within the community pharmacy setting.

Main Methods:

• 40 community pharmacies across 20 states offered the Cardiovascular Health+ service.
• Services included SDOH screening, stroke risk assessment, point-of-care electrocardiogram (EKG) testing, and MTM assessment.
• Data analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• 2,105 participants enrolled; 4,037 EKGs performed, revealing Afib in 4.7% of participants (vs. 1.5% in general US population).
• 13% of patients screened had medication-related SDOH needs.
• 55 patients were referred to other providers based on screening results.

Conclusions:

• Community pharmacists play a vital role in identifying Afib, cardiovascular risks, and SDOH factors.
• Community pharmacies can significantly increase Afib detection rates.
• This model offers a scalable solution for accessible patient care services to reduce cardiovascular risk.