Study of an Intervention to Improve Use of Life-saving Medications for Heart Disease

Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a program to help patients with heart disease stay on their heart medications.

Conditions

• Cardiovascular Disease

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

oral education & written tips for remembering medications

Clinical pharmacist will review purpose of medications of interest (beta-blockers, statins, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor (ACEI)/Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB), aspirin, and other anti-platelets) with the subject. A written list of tips for remembering medications will be provided and reviewed.

DEVICE

pill box

Subject is provided a pill box and briefly instructed on how to use the box.

DEVICE

pocket medication card

Subject is provided with a card that contains space for prescription and non-prescription medications. If desired the clinical pharmacist-investigator will complete the card for the subject.

BEHAVIORAL

sharing information with community pharmacist

A fax is sent to the designated community pharmacy at the time of the subject's discharge from the hospital. The fax contains the subject's medications of interest, barriers to medication adherence, and physicians' contact information.

BEHAVIORAL

Medication use evaluations by community pharmacist

The community pharmacist will assess use of medications of interest at time of first medication fill and by reviewing the subject's computerized medication profile at the pharmacy. Assessments occur at first visit to pharmacy, 6-weeks, 12-weeks, 18-weeks, and 24-weeks. If there are issues with any medications of interest the subject will be called. If needed, the subject's health care team will be notified.

BEHAVIORAL

informing physician if patient has stopped a medication

The community pharmacist or clinical pharmacist-investigator will fax the subject's physician to notify that a medication has been stopped.

BEHAVIORAL

Routine discharge counseling

Both groups received routine discharge counseling performed by the patient-care nurse.

OTHER

Letter to physician/discharge summary

A letter/discharge summary from the hospital physician to the community physician listing the discharge medications, procedures, and recommendations.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Pfizer

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

  collaborator FED

• Duke University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Judith M. Kramer, MD,MS · Duke University

• Nancy Allen LaPointe, PharmD · Duke University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2006-06-30

Primary Completion

2010-03-31

Completion

2011-03-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations