Real-world utilization of bempedoic acid in an academic preventive cardiology practice.

BACKGROUND: Lipid management for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease remains insufficient for many with currently available therapies. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate real-world use of bempedoic acid. METHODS: Retrospective study of patients in our Center for Preventive Cardiology who were prescribed bempedoic acid between February 2020 and July 2021. Patients were managed according to clinical standards of care, with lipid assessments at months ≤3, 6, and 12 post-bempedoic acid initiation. RESULTS: Seventy-three patients were prescribed bempedoic acid, with 64 initiating therapy. The majority had atherosclerosis (89%), familial hypercholesterolemia (64%), and statin intolerance (74%), with baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) 120 mg/dL. Prior authorization requests and appeals of denials were required in 90% and 19% of cases, respectively. Cost-mitigating strategies reduced median monthly drug costs from $432 pre-insurance approval to $80 post-insurance approval, to $10 after financial assistance intervention. Bempedoic acid reduced LDL-C by -36.7%, -31%, and -20.3% at ≤3, 6, and 12, respectively, with >20% achieving LDL-C <70 mg/dL. There was substantial inter-individual heterogeneity in LDL-C lowering. We observed high rates of drug discontinuation (35.9%), mostly related to treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) (32.8%), primarily musculoskeletal complaints. Use of reduced dose bempedoic acid (<180 mg) was associated similar LDL-C lowering but TEAE and drug discontinuation were still common. CONCLUSIONS: Real-world use of bempedoic acid was limited by insurance and cost barriers requiring substantial post-prescription interventions. In patients at heightened risk for atherosclerotic events and statin intolerance, bempedoic acid was associated with clinically meaningful LDL-C lowering, but high rates of TEAEs and drug discontinuations.

Development of a pharmacy resident rotation to expand decentralized clinical pharmacy services.

PURPOSE: The development of a pharmacy resident rotation to expand decentralized clinical pharmacy services is described. SUMMARY: In an effort to align with the initiatives proposed within the ASHP Practice Advancement Initiative, the department of pharmacy at Cleveland Clinic, a 1,400-bed academic, tertiary acute care medical center in Cleveland, Ohio, established a goal to provide decentralized clinical pharmacy services for 100% of patient care units within the hospital. Patient care units that previously had no decentralized pharmacy services were evaluated to identify opportunities for expansion. Metrics analyzed included number of medication orders verified per hour, number of pharmacy dosing consultations, and number of patient discharge counseling sessions. A pilot study was conducted to assess the feasibility of this service and potential resident learning opportunities. A learning experience description was drafted, and feedback was solicited regarding the development of educational components utilized throughout the rotation. Pharmacists who were providing services to similar patient populations were identified to serve as preceptors. Staff pharmacists were deployed to previously uncovered patient care units, with pharmacy residents providing decentralized services on previously covered areas. A rotating preceptor schedule was developed based on geographic proximity and clinical expertise. An initial postimplementation assessment of this resident-driven service revealed that pharmacy residents provided a comparable level of pharmacy services to that of staff pharmacists. Feedback collected from nurses, physicians, and pharmacy staff also supported residents' ability to operate sufficiently in this role to optimize patient care. CONCLUSION: A learning experience developed for pharmacy residents in a large medical center enabled the expansion of decentralized clinical services without requiring additional pharmacist full-time equivalents.