ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A trailblazing new program using rural pharmacies to identify and screen patients at risk of stroke and heart disease may have saved hundreds of lives, improved outcomes for thousands of patients, and saved millions of dollars by preventing hospitalization.
The pilot program is a collaboration between the National Community Pharmacists Association’s (NCPA) Innovation Center, CPESN Community Health, and Bristol Myers Squibb and underscores the importance of patient access to local pharmacies. Data from the first phase was collected over six months from 25 pharmacies in six states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri) known as the “Stroke Belt” because of its high prevalence of cardiovascular disease.
“In this part of the country, like most of rural America, independent community pharmacies are often the only accessible health care providers,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey. “Many people in these areas may not have ready access to a doctor, but they frequently visit their local pharmacy. So, the local pharmacist is in a good position to identify at-risk patients, provide screening and counseling, connect patients with social services, and refer them to physicians for medical care so they can maintain or even improve their quality of life.”…