Key Summary
- Inclisiran jabs are now offered in selected pharmacies
- Pilot aims to create a one-stop, convenient heart-care pathway
- Designed to improve access, reduce waits, and reach underserved groups
Barts Health NHS trust in East London has launched a pilot project to provide cholesterol-controlling injection Inclisiran, traditionally administered in hospital settings, in community pharmacies.
Approved by NICE, only two injections are required in a year to lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Barts Health is running the pilot, in collaboration with UCLPartners, and is funded by a grant of £198,000 by British Heart Foundation (BHF).
The pilot is part of the ELOPE-CVD programme, and led by Professor Riyaz Patel, consultant cardiologist at the Barts Heart Centre.
Professor Riyaz Patel said, “This project will potentially enable us to bring care closer to home for thousands of people who need cholesterol-lowering therapy but may find it difficult to attend hospital appointments. “
The pilot will run across selected pharmacies to explore administering injections to patients currently attending hospitals; starting treatment for those awaiting hospital appointments; and identifying new at-risk patients via pharmacy-based cholesterol testing.
The partnership aims to tackle the health inequalities in cardiovascular care, along with improved accessibility and reduced waiting times.
Barts Health and earlier joined hands with UCLPartners to deliver seven-minute lipid tests in community pharmacies.
Combined with the introduction of Inclisiran, the aim is to develop a streamlined pathway for patients to be tested and treated in one place close to home.
Dr Sotiris Antoniou, clinical lead for the ELOPE-CVD PoCT (point of care testing) workstream at Barts Health NHS Trust, said, “Community pharmacies are one of the most accessible parts of the NHS, with 99 percent of people in deprived areas living within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy. Integrating Inclisiran into pharmacy services unlocks a more convenient and equitable way to deliver preventive heart care.”
