The following is a summary of “Integrating Ambulatory Care Pharmacists Into Value-Based Primary Care: A Scalable Solution to Chronic Disease,” published in the January 2025 issue of Primary Care by Blood et al.
Chronic disease patients need more primary care visits, but providers are overburdened and fewer are entering the field. Clinical pharmacists can help improve disease control and support primary care efforts.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the impact of a retail pharmacy-hired clinical pharmacist in a value-based primary care network, finding improved control of hypertension (HTN) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
They evaluated the effect of a pharmacist, under a collaborative drug therapy management agreement, who prescribed and adjusted therapies for HTN and T2DM. Primary outcomes included changes in hemoglobinA1c, systolic, and diastolic blood pressure (BP) from pre- to post-index.
The results showed a systolic BP reduction of −10.2 mmHg (P < .01) and a diastolic BP reduction of −2.0 mmHg (P = .42) in the HTN cohort (n=43). The T2DM cohort (n=125) showed a hemoglobinA1c reduction of −1.16% (P < .001).
Investigators observed significant reductions in systolic BP and hemoglobinA1c in the pharmacist-managed group compared to controls. These findings demonstrated that pharmacist integration into value-based primary care improved chronic disease management.
Source: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21501319241312041
