Q1 2019

GHP / Q1 2019 17 Leeds, we examined, through a retrospective audit, the prevalence of anaemia and iron studies during the admission of patients with heart failure. This stemmed out of the principles of medicines optimisation, where we need to treat patients holistically. Evidence shows that the prevalence of anaemia and iron deficiency is high among patients with heart failure with detrimental effects on their quality of life and economic impact on the wider health system. While the standards for haemoglobin testing were well adhered to, iron studies were not conducted in hospital as frequently as advised by guidance such as the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidance which recommends screening patients with HF for anaemia and assessing their iron status.4, Anaemia could have many causes and therefore patients should be examined to identify the reason for their anaemia. Patients with iron deficiency as defined by the ESC guidelines should be considered for iron supplementation. Some evidence shows that symptomatic patients with iron deficiency who receive intravenous iron have improvements in symptoms, exercise capacity and quality of life compared to those who are not treated. Our audit showed that there was lack of awareness of the additional investigations that should be undertaken while managing patients with heart failure to reduce missed opportunities and improve outcomes for patients.4 We are The Consultant Pharmacist: A beacon for change working with our cardiologists to address this. As a Consultant Pharmacist, it is not just our role to implement guidelines, but also influence them and share best practice at a national and international level. We ensure that our findings and innovations are disseminated and shared on national and international platforms to raise awareness and enable our peers to translate research into their daily practice. Uncovering, implementing and driving best practice is no mean feat, but it is possible. Five learnings that have been central to the advancement of medicines optimisation in the cardiology department at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust are: 1. Collaboration and multidisciplinary working 2. Patient and person-centred care 3. Data collection to show that interventions work and support any business case submission 4. Ensuring the outcomes measured are relevant and important to patients and the healthcare system in its totality 5. Considering how research can be translated into practice Underpinning all of these principals is a holistic mindset that sees beyond the symptoms, patient and department before us, but the healthcare community as a whole.