Study underscores importance of physician-pharmacist collaboration

MONTREAL Care offered to patients improved when physicians collaborated with community pharmacists, according to a Canadian study published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Researchers at the Universite de Montreal and McGill University focused on patients with high cholesterol at risk for developing cardiovascular disease, recruiting 77 physicians, 108 pharmacists and 225 patients.

The researchers found that while collaborative care did not significantly affect cholesterol control, more patients receiving it reported discussing lifestyle changes with pharmacists and implementing them, and their medication was adjusted to their needs more frequently.

“Many patients say they received VIP treatment from their pharmacist,” Universite de Montreal professor Lyne Lalonde said in a statement.