American Heart Association thinks pharmacists can play a bigger role in AFib care
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is one of the most common heart complications in the United States, but many AFib patients fail to take the medications prescribed by their cardiologists. The American Heart Association (AHA) thinks pharmacists could help reverse that trend by participating more in patient care by providing helpful communication at the pharmacy, or even playing a more involved role in patient management.
The AHA has announced that engaging with U.S. pharmacists represents the next phase of its ongoing Four F’s of Atrial Fibrillation initiative, which is focused on addressing barriers to care for undertreated AFib patients through series of roundtable discussions, webinars and podcast episodes. The project sponsored by the Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer Alliance.
“Pharmacists are an integral part of the multidisciplinary team to optimize care for individuals with atrial fibrillation,” Cody Parsons, APh, PharmD, BCCCP, manager of clinical operations for Stanford Health Care's cardiovascular health service line, said in an AHA statement. “The insight of pharmacists in evaluating the medical complexity and use of multiple medications is essential in facilitating safe and effective anticoagulation and ultimately preventing life-altering medical consequences of AFib.”
AHA plans to gather pharmacists from throughout the United States for an extended roundtable discussion about current gaps in care for AFib patients. Feedback gathered during that chat will then be presented to care teams all over the country. The ultimate goal is to improve the day-to-day management of these patients, ensuring medications are taken when prescribed and any patient questions are answered right away.
Updated AFib guidelines
In late 2023, the American College of Cardiology and AHA collaborated on new guidelines for the diagnosis and management of AFib. The American College of Clinical Pharmacy and Heart Rhythm Society fully endorsed the guidelines. They can be read in full in both Circulation and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.[1, 2]
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.