Pharmacists help heart patients thrive
A pharmacist-led initiative will help patients recovering from heart attacks THRIVE by encouraging them to better manage their blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well helping them quit smoking.
Targeted Heart Risk Optimization Interventions and Vital Education (THRIVE) is primarily focused on the British Asian community with data showing less than half of those affected (45%) weren’t managing their condition as well as they could increasing the risk of a further heart attack.
The initiative, funded by North West London Integrated Care Board, wants to improve compliancy rates to 80%.
In response, THRIVE is offering virtual clinic appointments to support blood pressure and lipid management; better integration with cardiac rehabilitation services; and reviewing the quality of patient information offered in different languages.
The latter addresses a study showing poor health literacy among older south-east Asian patients with many struggling to understand how and when to take life-saving medication.
Aanchal Bahl, a senior specialist pharmacist in cardiology, said: “An individual who has had a heart attack can go from not taking any medication to eight tablets a day for the rest of their lives. “It can be confusing if your English isn’t great or that you don’t understand the importance of taking your medication regularly.
“These tablets are largely taken to keep the stent(s) open in your arteries. If you don’t take them, they become blocked and you will inevitably have another heart attack.
“It’s very risky to skip or miss this medication and the initiative will provide clearer multi-lingual advice in both word and video to these patients.
“The reality is that once you’ve had a heart attack you will need to rely on medication to stabilise your condition. There is no substitute for that which needs to be supported by adopting a healthier diet and doing more exercise.”