Effect of a clinical pharmacist-managed lipid clinic on achieving nationalcholesterol education program low-density lipoprotein goals

Despite national guidelines for treatment of hyperlipidemia, significant nu mbers of individuals with coronary artery disease are not treated to their National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) low-density lipoprotein (LDL) goals. The potential benefits of a clinical pharmacist-managed lipid clini c would be to improve rates of success in achieving these goals, improve dr ug adherence and compliance with therapy, and reduce cardiovascular events. All patients who had a documented history of coronary artery disease and w ere under the care of one cardiologist were treated in the pharmacist-manag ed lipid clinic. A second cardiologist provided usual care to a group of pa tients with coronary artery disease who served as controls. Patients in eac h arm were followed for a minimum of 6 months. A protocol for therapy chang es in clinic patients was developed by the clinical pharmacist and approved by the cardiologist. At the end of 6 months, 69% of patients in the pharma cist-managed clinic achieved their LDL goal, compared with 50% of controls. Compliance with laboratory tests and drug regimens also improved in clinic patients. Compliance with lipid panels went from 8% 2 months before to 89% 2 months after the start of the study. At the end of 6 months compliance w ith laboratory work and refills was 80%. Thus the clinical pharmacist-manag ed clinic was highly successful in achieving NCEP goals for secondary preve ntion.