Therapeutic Education and Pharmacotherapeutic Follow-Up Protocol, a Useful Tool for the Improvement of Patients at Cardiovascular Risk in Community Pharmacies.

Abstract

The aim was to determine the influence of a complex intervention based on pharmacotherapeutic follow-up (PTF) and the application of therapeutic education (TE) protocols on the clinical and educational parameters of patients at cardiovascular risk (CVR) attending community pharmacies (CPs). A prospective, longitudinal, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted over 6 months in patients from four Spanish CPs, divided into control (CG) and intervention (IG) groups. CG patients received usual pharmacy care and IG patients received a PTF- and TE-based intervention. The sample consisted of 85 elderly patients. After pharmaceutical follow-up of the IG patients, the following results were observed: significant reductions in cardiovascular risk (CVR) (p < 0.005), blood pressure (BP) (p < 0.05), and sedentary lifestyle (p < 0.001), as well as an improved knowledge of CVR and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) (p < 0.001). Target values for BP were achieved in 27.2% of patients and for triglycerides in 12.4% of patients. The PTF of the patients showed that 29.2% did not have the expected response to some treatments, while 25% had untreated pathologies and 10% had adverse reactions. The TE protocols related to the patients' educational needs, applied individually and in conjunction with the PTF, were able to improve their lifestyle habits, their knowledge of CVR, CVRFs, and pharmacotherapy, and their clinical parameters, and, thus, the level of development of their disease.