Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is the most common heart rhythm disorder encountered in clinical practice according to Dr. Roopinder Sandhu, MD, MPH, and the leading cause of stroke in older individuals. Sandhu, a cardiac electrophysiologist and the Director of the Women's Cardiovascular Health Initiative at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary says despite the availability of blood thinners to reduce the risk of stroke that are highly effective and safe, major gaps in the delivery of appropriate blood thinners persist leaving a large proportion of individuals at risk for stroke and other complications.
Sandhu led a study investigating whether involving community pharmacists in the prescription of appropriate blood thinners for individuals with undiagnosed or undertreated Afib could improve stroke prevention. People visit their pharmacists up to eight times more often than their physicians. Pharmacists have long-term trusted relationships with the people who come to them for medication and advice on the medications they take.
Also, access to a pharmacist may be easier for many people than access to a family physician, especially for people in remote communities." Dr. Roopinder Sandhu, MD, MPH, first author and principal investigator The research team worked with pharmacists in 27 communities across Alberta who are specially trained in Afib and to prescribe blood thinners.
The pharmacists recruited 80 patients over the age of 65 with one additional stroke risk fact.