Using pharmacy technicians and electronic health record capabilities to improve outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease.

Objective: This study aimed to compare lipid and blood pressure (BP) control before and after implementing a certified pharmacy technician (CPhT) protocol that optimized electronic health record (EHR) capabilities and shifted work from clinical pharmacy specialists (CPSs) to CPhT.

Setting: Kaiser Permanente Colorado's pharmacist-managed cardiac risk reduction service (which manages dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes for all patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease).

Practice Description: In 2019, a protocol that optimized EHR capabilities and allowed work to be offloaded from CPS to CPhT was implemented.

Value of Pharmacy Students Performing Population Management Activity Interventions as an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience.

To assess the value of an advanced pharmacy practice experience in which students engaged in population health management (PHM) activities for a managed care setting. Students were provided with a list of patients, trained on the requirements for each PHM activity and completed them independently. The students reviewed the electronic record for each patient on their list to identify those who were non-adherent to dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) within one year of coronary stent placement, non-adherent to beta blockers (BB) within six months post-acute myocardial infarction, or with renal dysfunction and requiring dose adjustment of lipid-lowering therapy.

Trends in high intensity statin use among secondary prevention patients 76 years and older.

Background: High intensity statin therapy (HIST) is the gold standard therapy for decreasing the risk of recurrent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD); however, little is known about the use of HIST in older adults with ASCVD.

Objectives: The aim of this cross-sequential study was to determine trends in statin intensity in older adults over a 10-year timeframe.

Methods: The study was conducted in an integrated healthcare delivery system.

PCSK9 inhibitors and managing cost in the managed care setting.

In patients with hypercholesterolemia who have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and/or familial hypercholesterolemia, a new class of drugs may be helpful in reducing serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) beyond maximally tolerated statin therapy. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors lower LDL-C through a different mechanism of action than standard cholesterol-lowering therapies. Currently approved PCSK9 inhibitors are the monoclonal antibodies alirocumab and evolocumab.

Clinical Pharmacist Patient-Safety Initiative to Reduce Against-Label Prescribing of Statins With Cyclosporine.

Background: Against-label prescribing of statins with interacting drugs, such as cyclosporine, represents an important patient safety concern.

Objective: To implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a clinical pharmacist patient-safety initiative to minimize against-label prescribing of statins with cyclosporine.

Methods: Kaiser Permanente Colorado clinical pharmacists identified patients receiving both cyclosporine and against-label statin through prescription claims data.

Pharmacist prescribing practices in a clinical pharmacy cardiac risk service.

Purpose: Prescribing practices within a clinical pharmacy cardiac risk service (CPCRS) and their impact on treatment outcomes in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) are described.

Summary: National healthcare reforms have increased the population of insured patients and placed increased demands on physicians and other providers. Pharmacists are well trained and positioned to aid in patient care by providing expertise in medication management and patient safety that can result in pharmacotherapy optimization and cost savings.

An assessment of cholesterol goal attainment in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at significant risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The National Kidney Foundation developed clinical practice guidelines (Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative) for targeting low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals.

Objective: This study evaluated the extent to which these guidelines were adhered to among patients with CKD and to examine factors associated with the attainment of LDL-C goals.