Effect of a Clinical Pharmacist‐Managed Lipid Clinic on Achieving National Cholesterol Education Program Low‐Density Lipoprotein Goals

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Abstract
Despite national guidelines for treatment of hyperlipidemia, significant numbers 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 clinic would be to improve rates of success in achieving these goals, improve drug adherence and compliance with therapy, and reduce cardiovascular events. All patients who had a documented history of coronary artery disease and were under the care of one cardiologist were treated in the pharmacist‐managed lipid clinic. A second cardiologist provided usual care to a group of patients with coronary artery disease who served as controls. Patients in each arm were followed for a minimum of 6 months. A protocol for therapy changes 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 pharmacist‐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 with laboratory work and refills was 80%. Thus the clinical pharmacist‐managed clinic was highly successful in achieving NCEP goals for secondary prevention.

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