Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Pharmacist-led AF intervention cuts stroke by 22%

A pharmacist-led intervention to prevent atrial fibrillation-related (AF) strokes has resulted in a 22 per cent reduction in hospital admissions in the North West of England.

Over 45,000 patients in Tameside and Glossop were screened and assessed over an eight-month period which resulted in a decrease in the projected 12-month stroke incidence.


The review of AF patients was commissioned by the local CCG following data which reported that the region showed a significantly higher rate of AF.

External stroke admissions data showed a 22 per cent reduction in strokes for a three-month period following the completion of the programme compared to the previous year when the intervention was not made.

A team of pharmacists from Interface Clinical Services worked alongside clinicians and nurses from 38 general practices across the region to review their AF population to reduce incidents of AF-related strokes through early diagnosis, optimisation of anticoagulation therapy, improvement in the management of ‘known but not treated’ patients and the support of patients with treatment adherence and lifestyle alterations.

With the current average 'societal cost' of a stroke estimated at £45,409 in the first 12 months plus £24,778 in subsequent years, strokes prevented within Tameside and Glossop CCG could account for a yearly NHS cost saving upwards of £1.5million and an overall societal cost saving of almost £5.2million.

Pharmacist Jack Birchall, who led the review, said: “During the review, we stratified AF patients who were at high risk of stroke. We then not only ensured that they were receiving optimal therapy to reduce the risk of stroke, reviewing vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) or direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) usage, but also talked directly to patients about the risk and symptoms of stroke or TIAs as many people with AF are not aware that they are five times more likely to suffer a stroke or TIA due to the formation of blood clots which can block arteries to the brain.”

Practices used AliveCor Kardia Mobile devices to carry out ‘near patient testing’ to detect the presence of AF.

The programme won an AF Association Healthcare Pioneer award for 2020, in recognition of innovative and positive advances in diagnosis, anticoagulation therapy and treatment for AF.

The results of this and other successful AF programmes will be shared as best practice across the UK by the AF Association.

More For You

Youth vaping : project to examine health impacts on children

Youth vaping : project to examine health impacts on children

Youth vaping: £62M research project to examine health impacts on children

The UK government has announced a £62 million research project to investigate the long-term health effects of vaping on young people, alongside wider influences on adolescent health and wellbeing.

While vaping is considered less harmful than smoking and can aid adult smokers in quitting, youth vaping has skyrocketed in recent years, with a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds having tried it, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) noted in a release.

Keep ReadingShow less
David Thomas Steps In as NPA’s New Wales Representative
Five NPA members are contesting for the remaining position in England (gettyimages)

NPA board update: David Thomas succeeds Raj Aggarwal OBE

Five NPA members are contesting for the remaining position in England

David Thomas, owner of LT Chemists in Newport, will replace Raj Aggarwal OBE as the next National Pharmacy Association (NPA) board member for Wales, following an uncontested election this month.

Following the conclusion of a nomination process last week, Baldev Bange, Aisling O’Brien, Sehar Shahid, and Sanjay Ganvir have been re-elected to the Board, representing areas of England and Scotland, according to a statement from NPA.

Keep ReadingShow less
Public Policy Projects calls for better use of community pharmacy skill mix to improve medicines adherence
Non-adherence to medicines remains a critical issue, with an estimated 30 to 50 per cent of medicines for long-term conditions not taken as prescribed. (gettyimages)

Leverage pharmacy skill mix to improve medicines adherence - report suggests

The report also suggested expanding the community pharmacy contractual framework to enable community pharmacy to deliver medicines reviews

Pharmacy technicians and assistants should be enabled to talk to patients about their medications to improve medicines adherence, a new report has recommended.

The report, How medicines optimisation contributes to population health, published recently by policy institute Public Policy Projects, highlighted that non-adherence to medicines remains a critical issue, with an estimated 30 to 50 per cent of medicines for long-term conditions not taken as prescribed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pharmacy contract consultation to review medicine margin and reimbursement, says Kinnock

Pharmacy contract consultation to review medicine margin and reimbursement, says Kinnock

Kinnock confirms that an announcement on the 2025/26 GP contract would be made before April 2025

The 2025/26 pharmacy contract consultation will include a review of the medicine margin and reimbursement arrangements, health and care minister Stephen Kinnock has confirmed.

Kinnock made this statement in response to a written question from Nick Timothy, Conservative MP for West Suffolk, who asked the secretary of state for health and social care, if he will review the reimbursement system for pharmacies and GP practices dispensing medicines.

Keep ReadingShow less
NPA urges immediate release of pharmacy funding crises review
Underfunding has forced record numbers of pharmacy closures (gettyimages)

Suppressing pharmacy funding crisis analysis would be ‘outrageous’, warns NPA

The NPA fears the report won’t be published until pharmacy funding consultations conclude, while CPE states there is no set timeline for finalising negotiations.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has called on the NHS and the Department of Health to immediately publish the government-commissioned analysis of pharmacy underfunding and reveal the true scale of the crisis.

Commissioned by NHS England, the long-awaited independent review is expected to “lay bare the perilous financial state” of community pharmacies, which is a vital part of the nation’s health infrastructure.

Keep ReadingShow less