Adding pharmacists and nurse practitioners to manage medications for newly diagnosed heart failure patients is not only effective — it's cost-efficient. A new simulation study found this approach could reduce deaths and hospitalizations while costing just $7,437 per quality-adjusted life-year, well below the $50,000 willingness-to-pay threshold. Researchers say it's time for health systems to expand this model of care.
A new simulation study published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology finds that adding pharmacists and nurse practitioners to manage medications for patients newly diagnosed with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) can save lives, cut hospitalizations, and deliver strong value for money. The research comes amid growing concern that many HFrEF patients aren't receiving guideline-directed medication therapy (GDMT) — treatments proven to extend and improve their lives.
The model compared usual care (typically from a family physician) to usual care plus pharmacist- and nurse-practitioner-led medication management over one year. The results were striking: fewer deaths, fewer hospital stays, and meaningful gains in quality of life — all at a cost that health systems can justify.
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Why it matters: Many HFrEF patients lack access to specialized medication management, leaving a significant care gap. This study gives clinicians and health administrators the economic evidence they need to advocate for expanding pharmacist- and nurse-practitioner-led programs — a team-based approach already showing real-world results in Canadian cardiac clinics.
