Integration of a Pharmacist into a Stroke Prevention Clinic Team

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in Canada, accounting for 14000 deaths annually. Between 40000 and 50000 strokes occur every year, 75% of which result in some type of impairment or disability. Stroke survivors have a 20% risk of another stroke within 2 years of the initial event, and 33% of all strokes are thought to be repeat episodes. The use of antiplatelet agents and the management of risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol intake, hypertension, and dyslipidemias, are key to preventing recurrent stroke. Although numerous studies have demonstrated that patient outcomes improve when pharmacists are involved in cardiovascular risk reduction and anticoagulation management, few publications have outlined pharmacists’ involvement in secondary stroke prevention. The purposes of this paper are to describe the rationale for pharmacist involvement in a stroke prevention clinic, to outline the role of the pharmacist in the clinic, and to retrospectively evaluate the pharmacist’s workload, to determine the number and nature of the patient care interventions performed.