title: An Update on the Management of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and the Pharmacist's Role.
abstract: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare medical condition that significantly shortens life expectancy. The lack of understanding and complexity of treatments frequently lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment of patients. This is worsened by the gap in medical education related to the rarity of disease and the subspecialty nature of management. Advancements in diagnostics and treatment in recent years makes a review of this nature important and timely. Understanding the specialty nature of drug therapy, the complexities of managing prostacyclin analogs, and treatment algorithms are essential for pharmacists caring for these patients in both acute and ambulatory settings. This review article will provide an overview of published guidelines as well as discuss new therapies, clinical controversies, and the pharmacist's role in the management of these patients.
authors.affiliation: UK HealthCare Pharmacy Services, Lexington, KY, USA Gill Heart Institute, UKHealthCare, Lexington, KY, USA Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, UK College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY, USA tracy.macaulay@uky.edu.
authors.forename: Tracy E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Macaulay
authors.affiliation: UK HealthCare Pharmacy Services, Lexington, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Mary B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Covell
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Michigan Health System, Victor Vaughan Bldg, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Kristen T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Pogue
mesh_terms: D019468:Disease Management; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010595:Pharmacists; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D024382:Professional Role
keywords: epoprostenol; prostacyclin; pulmonary arterial hypertension; riociguat