Home medical care for heart failure patients: Pharmaceutical education program of Chiba university

Abstract

The number of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) is increasing in Japan. Because there is a shortage of medical professionals to address the demands of an aging society, it is important for CHF patients to receive appropriate treatment from medical professionals in their own neighborhoods. Multidisciplinary care, involving physicians, nurses, pharmacists, care managers, et al., is indispensable for providing safe, appropriate home medical care for CHF patients. In multidisciplinary care, pharmacists play an important role, especially in improving patient adherence to CHF treatment regimens. Pharmacists are also expected to participate actively in the improvement of patients' quality of life and the avoidance of hospital readmission. However, team medicine for CHF treatment is in its nascent stage, and the system for providing multidisciplinary care is still under development. It is important to discuss the present situation and the issues facing multidisciplinary care for CHF treatment. In particular, we need to enhance the significance and role of pharmacists in providing successful multidisciplinary care. In this symposium, I highlight the new role of pharmacists in home medical care for CHF treatment and introduce the pharmaceutical education program of Chiba University.