EFFECT OF PHARMACEUTICAL CARE ON OPTIMUM COLESTIPOL TREATMENT IN ELDERLY HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC VETERANS

We conducted a prospective trial to determine whether a formal, integr ated pharmaceutical care plan can enhance patient acceptance and compl iance with colestipol therapy and improve outcomes. Forty patients wit h hypercholesterolemia were equally divided and assigned to either a u sual care or pharmaceutical care group. In the pharmaceutical care gro up compared with the usual care group, after 52 weeks, colestipol ther apy resulted in a greater reduction in total cholesterol (12.5% vs 7.3 %), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; 16% vs 9.4%), and LDL- C:high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (24.4% vs 12.2%, p<0.05). The percentage of patients who achieved their LDL-C goal at w eek 52 was much greater in the pharmaceutical care group (29.4%) than in the usual care group (5.0%, p<0.05). Comanagement by a physician an d a pharmacist of hypercholesterolemic veterans treated with colestipo l can enhance patient acceptance of the drug, LDL-C reduction, and ach ievement of therapeutic goals.