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Reduction in heart failure events by the addition of a clinical pharmacist to the heart failure management team: results of the Pharmacist in Heart Failure Assessment Recommendation and Monitoring (PHARM) Study.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Gattis, WA; Hasselblad, V; Whellan, DJ; O'Connor, CM
Published in: Arch Intern Med
September 13, 1999

BACKGROUND: The multidisciplinary approach to managing heart failure has been shown to improve outcomes. The role of a clinical pharmacist in treating heart failure has not been evaluated. METHODS: One hundred eighty-one patients with heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction <45) undergoing evaluation in clinic were randomized to an intervention or a control group. Patients in the intervention group received clinical pharmacist evaluation, which included medication evaluation, therapeutic recommendations to the attending physician, patient education, and follow-up telemonitoring. The control group received usual care. The primary end point was combined all-cause mortality and heart failure clinical events. All clinical events were adjudicated by a blinded end point committee. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar except for slightly higher age in the intervention group. Median follow-up was 6 months. All-cause mortality and heart failure events were significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group (4 vs 16; P= .005). In addition, patients in the intervention group received higher angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor doses as reflected by the median fraction of target reached (25th and 75th percentiles), 1.0 (0.5 and 1) and 0.5 (0.1875 and 1) in the intervention and control groups, respectively (P<.001). The use of other vasodilators in angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor-intolerant patients was higher in the intervention group (75% vs 26%; P= .02). CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes in heart failure can be improved with a clinical pharmacist as a member of the multidisciplinary heart failure team. This observation may be due to higher doses of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and/or closer follow-up.

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Published In

Arch Intern Med

DOI

ISSN

0003-9926

Publication Date

September 13, 1999

Volume

159

Issue

16

Start / End Page

1939 / 1945

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Ventricular Dysfunction, Left
  • Vasodilator Agents
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Survival Analysis
  • Program Evaluation
  • Pharmacists
  • Patient Education as Topic
  • Patient Discharge
  • Patient Care Team
  • North Carolina
 

Citation

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Gattis, W. A., Hasselblad, V., Whellan, D. J., & O’Connor, C. M. (1999). Reduction in heart failure events by the addition of a clinical pharmacist to the heart failure management team: results of the Pharmacist in Heart Failure Assessment Recommendation and Monitoring (PHARM) Study. Arch Intern Med, 159(16), 1939–1945. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.159.16.1939
Gattis, W. A., V. Hasselblad, D. J. Whellan, and C. M. O’Connor. “Reduction in heart failure events by the addition of a clinical pharmacist to the heart failure management team: results of the Pharmacist in Heart Failure Assessment Recommendation and Monitoring (PHARM) Study.Arch Intern Med 159, no. 16 (September 13, 1999): 1939–45. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.159.16.1939.

Published In

Arch Intern Med

DOI

ISSN

0003-9926

Publication Date

September 13, 1999

Volume

159

Issue

16

Start / End Page

1939 / 1945

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Ventricular Dysfunction, Left
  • Vasodilator Agents
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Survival Analysis
  • Program Evaluation
  • Pharmacists
  • Patient Education as Topic
  • Patient Discharge
  • Patient Care Team
  • North Carolina