Atrial Fibrillation Management in Pharmacy

A special issue of Pharmacy (ISSN 2226-4787).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2020) | Viewed by 4133

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
Interests: optimising outcomes of antithrombotic agents; stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation; quality use of medicines; medication-related services along the continuum of care
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Guest Editor
School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
Interests: quality use of medicines; medication safety; optimising stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation; development of pharmacist-led medication management services

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common recurrent arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice, and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Contemporary guidelines for the management of AF have highlighted the importance of an integrated, multidisciplinary and patient-centred approach to ensure optimal patient outcomes. Given that pharmacotherapy, namely anticoagulation, is one of the cornerstones of AF management, there are recognised roles for pharmacists in the provision of anticoagulation monitoring and support, education provision, medication management reviews and adherence support. Advances in technology have created new opportunities for pharmacists across all stages of the disease-management pathway, both in traditional and non-traditional pharmacy settings, and especially in improving services for people with AF living in areas with poor access to specialist healthcare. Furthermore, the integration of the direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) into clinical practice has changed the face of stroke thromboprophylaxis in AF, but challenges remain in optimising anticoagulant use.

We invite you and your colleagues to submit articles for this Special Issue on Atrial Fibrillation Management in Pharmacy. We welcome research on the involvement of pharmacists and pharmacies in all aspects of disease management in AF, from prevention and screening to patient education, monitoring and adherence support, prescribing support, quality audits and medication review. Educated, engaged patients, supported by a multidisciplinary healthcare team, are most likely to achieve optimal outcomes from AF management. We look forward to receiving your submissions describing how pharmacists can enhance the care of patients with AF.

Dr. Leanne Chalmers
Prof. Luke R. E. Bereznicki
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Atrial fibrillation
  • Pharmacist
  • Anticoagulation
  • Medication management
  • Education
  • Quality improvement

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 468 KiB  
Article
The Quality of Advice Provided by Pharmacists to Patients Taking Direct Oral Anticoagulants: A Mystery Shopper Study
by Jonathon Ertl, Leanne Chalmers and Luke Bereznicki
Pharmacy 2020, 8(3), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8030164 - 3 Sep 2020
Viewed by 3512
Abstract
Pharmacists report being less confident in their knowledge of direct acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) than of vitamin K antagonists, which may influence their ability to detect and manage complications arising from DOAC use. In a mystery shopper study, patient agents were sent into [...] Read more.
Pharmacists report being less confident in their knowledge of direct acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) than of vitamin K antagonists, which may influence their ability to detect and manage complications arising from DOAC use. In a mystery shopper study, patient agents were sent into community pharmacies with symptom or product-related requests related to common complications that might arise during treatment with oral anticoagulants, with each visit being assessed for the preferred outcome. Only 10/41 (24.4%) visits resulted in the preferred outcome. A complete history-taking process, obtaining a medical history, patient characteristics and pharmacist involvement were strong predictors of the preferred outcome being achieved. The preferred outcome was not consistently achieved without pharmacist involvement. The potential for strategies that support comprehensive pharmacist involvement in over-the-counter requests should be considered to ensure the provision of optimal care to patients taking high-risk medications such as DOACs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atrial Fibrillation Management in Pharmacy)
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