Adopting innovations and scaling them fast
Bringing heart health checks into pharmacies
High cholesterol is a leading cause of heart attack and stroke, disproportionately affecting people in more disadvantaged communities due to higher risk factors and poorer access to care. There are often no symptoms, making proactive testing crucial.
We worked with Barts Health NHS Trust, North East and North Central London ICBs, North East London Local Pharmaceutical Committee, HEART UK and NHS England to bring rapid cholesterol testing into selected pharmacies in London, and across England.
These finger-prick tests give a full cholesterol reading in under seven minutes and calculate a person’s risk of heart attack or stroke over the next 10 years. If the tests identify someone at risk, pharmacists give immediate lifestyle advice, and either initiate lipid lowering therapy or refer to a GP. The results are also available on the NHS app.
More than 2,370 people, including a high proportion from more disadvantaged areas, have been tested so far across 59 participating pharmacies. One in five (more than 400 people) were identified as high risk. More than 100 people have started lipid lowering therapy as a result.
We are leading the evaluation of this solution, generating evidence to inform wider rollout across England.
400+
people given support
after being found to be at high risk of heart attack or stroke
“This programme highlights the critical role community pharmacy can play in bringing prevention closer to home, particularly in more deprived communities, by improving access to testing that identifies people at risk before they develop cardiovascular disease.”
Dr Sotiris Antoniou, Divisional Director of Clinical Services and Clinical Lead for Point of Care Testing at Barts Health NHS Trust