title: Potential of pharmacists to help reduce the burden of poorly managed cardiovascular risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rural areas require better use of existing health professionals to ensure capacity to deliver improved cardiovascular outcomes. Community pharmacists (CPs) are accessible to most communities and can potentially undertake expanded roles in prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to establish frequency of contact with general practitioners (GPs) and CPs by patients at high risk of CVD or with inadequately controlled CVD risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population survey using randomly selected individuals from the Wimmera region electoral roll and incorporating a physical health check and self-administered health questionnaire. Overall, 1500 were invited to participate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participation rate was 51% when ineligible individuals were excluded. Nine out of 10 participants visited one or both types of practitioner in the previous 12 months. Substantially more participants visited GPs compared with CPs (88.5% versus 66.8%). With the exception of excess alcohol intake, the median number of opportunities to intervene for every inadequately controlled CVD risk factor and among high risk patient groups at least doubled for the professions combined when compared with GP visits alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Opportunities exist to intervene more frequently with target groups by engaging CPs more effectively but would require a significant attitude shift towards CPs. Mechanisms for greater pharmacist integration into primary care teams should be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Greater Green Triangle University Department of Rural Health, Flinders University and Deakin University, Warrnambool, Victoria 3280, Australia. kevin.mcnamara@greaterhealth.org
authors.forename: Kevin P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Mc Namara
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dunbar
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Philpot
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Marriott
authors.forename: Prasuna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Edward D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Janus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D014739:Victoria