Impact of a pharmacist-led antiarrhythmic drug monitoring outpatient clinic within a Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) Elizabeth Jacobs Fayetteville VA Medical Center (Ambulatory Care) - Fayetteville, NC
Background/Purpose: Amiodarone and sotalol are antiarrhythmics commonly used in the management of atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and ventricular tachycardia in the outpatient setting. Studies have shown a very low adherence rate to the recommended monitoring of these medications. However, the implementation of pharmacist-led clinics has positively impacted adherence rates to recommended monitoring. The purpose of this project is to determine adherence to medication monitoring of amiodarone and sotalol in a pharmacist-led clinic compared to standard care.
Methodology: A pharmacist-led antiarrhythmic monitoring clinic was established under the purview of the cardiology pharmacist at the Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Healthcare Center (VA HCC), an outpatient branch of the Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). The cardiologists at the Fayetteville VA HCC were informed of the establishment of the clinic. Patients were identified for enrollment in the clinic through direct referrals from providers and through chart review. All patients with an active prescription for amiodarone or sotalol from the Fayetteville VAMC were screened. Patients with medication initiation between December 1st, 2014 and March 1st, 2018 at a VAMC were included in the project. Patients meeting these criteria were contacted via telephone and scheduled for an initial meeting with the clinical pharmacist. Data collected included demographics, adherence to medication therapy and adherence to recommend monitoring parameters before and after enrollment in the pharmacist-led clinic. The number and nature of pharmacist interventions were also collected.
Presentation Objective: Describe the impact of a pharmacist-led clinic on adherence to recommended medication monitoring of amiodarone and sotalol compared to standard care.
Self-Assessment: In a patient receiving amiodarone, which labs are recommended for monitoring every 6 months?
