Clinical pharmacy services are reimbursed in Germany: challenges of real world implementation remain.

Over the last two decades, community pharmacy has experienced major changes as the role of pharmacists is evolving from a product to a service and a patient focus. As part of this change, new and innovative clinical pharmacy services aimed at improving medicines use and patient outcomes have been designed, both nationally and internationally. Since June 2022, five services are reimbursed by all statutory health insurance funds and private insurance companies in Germany: medication review for patients with polymedication; blood pressure control in hypertension; assuring proper inhalation techniques for patients receiving a new device or a device change; medication review including a follow-up for patients taking oral anticancer drugs or immunosuppressants post-transplantation.

Interdisciplinary Physician-Pharmacist Medication Review for Outpatients With Heart Failure: A Subanalysis of the PHARM-CHF Randomized Controlled Trial.

Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) require polypharmacy and are at increased risk for drug-related problems. Interdisciplinary physician-pharmacist medication review may improve drug treatment. Our goal was to analyze the changes from the physician-documented medication plan (MP) and patient-stated medication to an interdisciplinary consolidated MP (CMP).

The evidence for pharmacist care in outpatients with heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: Patients with heart failure (HF) have poor outcomes, including poor quality of life, and high morbidity and mortality. In addition, they have a high medication burden due to the multiple drug therapies now recommended by guidelines. Previous reviews, including studies in hospital settings, provided evidence that pharmacist care improves outcomes in patients with HF.

Primary healthcare policy and vision for community pharmacy and pharmacists in Germany.

Germany is the highest populated country in Europe with a population of 82.3 million in 2019. As in many other developed countries, it has an aging population.

Development and implementation of blood pressure screening and referral guidelines for German community pharmacists.

Involvement of community pharmacists in the detection and control of hypertension improves patient care. However, current European or North-American guidelines do not provide specific guidance how to implement collaboration between pharmacists and physicians, especially when and how to refer patients with undetected or uncontrolled hypertension to a physician. The German Society of Cardiology and the ABDA - Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists developed and tested referral recommendations for community pharmacists, embedded in two guideline worksheets.

The impact of pharmacist/physician care on quality of life in elderly heart failure patients: results of the PHARM-CHF randomized controlled trial.

Aims: Patients with heart failure (HF) have impaired quality of life (QoL). The randomized controlled trial PHARM-CHF investigated whether an interdisciplinary intervention consisting of regular contacts with the community pharmacy and weekly dosing aids improves medication adherence in patients with HF. It is unknown how an intervention involving frequent structured pharmacy visits affects QoL.

Pharmacy-based interdisciplinary intervention for patients with chronic heart failure: results of the PHARM-CHF randomized controlled trial.

Aims: Medication non-adherence is frequent and is associated with high morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We investigated whether an interdisciplinary intervention improves adherence in elderly CHF patients.

Methods And Results: The study population (mean age 74 years, 62% male, mean left ventricular ejection fraction 47%, 52% in New York Heart Association class III) consisted of 110 patients randomized into the pharmacy care and 127 into the usual care group.

Comparison of Different Strategies to Measure Medication Adherence via Claims Data in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure.

Medication adherence correlates with morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), but is difficult to assess. We conducted a retrospective methodological cohort study in 3,808 CHF patients, calculating adherence as proportion of days covered (PDC) utilizing claims data from 2010 to 2015. We aimed to compare different parameters' influence on the PDC of elderly CHF patients exemplifying a complex chronic disease.

PCNE definition of medication review: reaching agreement.

Background Medication review is important in an era, in which polypharmacy is increasing. To date, no agreed international definition of medication review exists. Objective The aim was to reach agreement on an internationally applicable definition of medication review.

PHARMacy-based interdisciplinary program for patients with Chronic Heart Failure (PHARM-CHF): rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial, and results of the pilot study.

We report the rationale and design of a community PHARMacy-based prospective randomized controlled interdisciplinary study for ambulatory patients with Chronic Heart Failure (PHARM-CHF) and results of its pilot study. The pilot study randomized 50 patients to a pharmacy-based intervention or usual care for 12 months. It demonstrated the feasibility of the design and showed reduced systolic blood pressure in the intervention group as indicator for improved medication adherence.

In search of a standard when analyzing medication adherence in patients with heart failure using claims data: a systematic review.

To determine and address medication non-adherence is important and may improve patient outcomes. Our aim was to perform a systematic review on the operationalization of adherence measures in patients with heart failure using claims data. We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases.

Provision of pharmaceutical care by community pharmacists across Europe: Is it developing and spreading?

Rationale, Aims, And Objectives: Pharmaceutical care involves patient-centred pharmacist activity to improve medicines management by patients. The implementation of this service in a comprehensive manner, however, requires considerable organisation and effort, and indeed, it is often not fully implemented in care settings. The main objective was to assess how pharmaceutical care provision within community pharmacy has evolved over time in Europe.

Age-related medication adherence in patients with chronic heart failure: A systematic literature review.

Background: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is prevalent among the elderly and is characterized by high mortality and hospitalization rates. Non-adherence to medications is frequent and related to poor clinical outcomes. It is often assumed that older age is related to poorer medication adherence compared with younger age.

Analyses of drugs stored at home by elderly patients with chronic heart failure.

Background: Evidence-based pharmacotherapy improves morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Medication adherence management is important for the effectiveness and safety of treatment. This study investigated drugs stored at home by elderly CHF patients.