STRAND, the innovative market leader in developing and supporting clinical services offered by community pharmacies, has unveiled a new STRAND Pathways solution focused on the treatment of heart failure. This represents the first platform in the country that has developed the edge-to-edge capability of identifying, documenting, educating, communicating, and billing for heart failure encounters. The entire process is designed to operate within the pharmacist's typical workflow, utilizing STRAND's single sign-on connections with pharmacy management systems.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, heart failure costs the nation an estimated $30.7 billion each year. Approximately 5.7 million adults are currently living with heart failure in the U.S. today, representing an opportunity for community pharmacists – to include pharmacists residing in rural and suburban locations– to make a measurable difference in the lives of their patients.

The STRAND Heart Failure Pathway leverages multiple intervention options to provide a customized, yet guided approach to treating heart failure. Pharmacist-focused interventions, as well as patient-facing opportunities, are now available for STRAND users at no additional charge. Highlights include a customizable education track for pharmacists to engage patients and leveraging the STRAND patient-facing app –available on both Apple and Android devices– to monitor weight, blood pressure, and exercise. Patients can also develop their own healthy meal options and select exercise videos they enjoy through the STRAND app. In addition, pharmacists will use STRAND's ability to document and communicate with providers through direct secure messaging, tasking features, and more.

"I'm thrilled to see pharmacists across the country redefining the traditional roles of pharmacy practice by partnering with patients living with chronic disease," said David Pope, PharmD, CDE, Chief of Innovation and co-founder. "Heart failure is a complex disease state that requires consistent engagement with a healthcare provider. The new STRAND Heart Failure Pathway will provide both pharmacists and patients with the right tools at the right time within the pharmacy workflow."

Pharmacists are also able to implement the STRAND Heart Failure Pathway as patients are discharged from the hospital. Twenty percent of patients living with heart failure are readmitted within 30 days, and up to 50% are readmitted within six months. By utilizing the clinical tools through STRAND, pharmacists can collaborate with providers and engage patients in an effort to lower the risk of readmission.

STRAND is also offering education on the treatment guidelines of heart failure to pharmacists at no additional charge. The video-based curriculum simplifies the complexity of heart failure management, allowing pharmacists to be up-to-date on the latest treatment guidelines.

The addition of heart failure management to STRAND Pathways is a welcome addition to an already robust offering, including opioid abuse prevention and diabetes education, among others. Pharmacists utilizing the STRAND platform have the opportunity to document, intervene, and bill for a myriad of clinical services.