Pharmacist Use of ECG to Inform Drug Therapy Decisions for Patients Receiving QT Prolonging Medications

Community Pharmacist Use of Mobile ECG to Inform Drug Therapy Decision Making for Patients Receiving QT Prolonging Medications

Torsade de pointes (TdP) is a cardiac arrhythmia associated with QT interval prolongation which may lead to cardiac arrest. Prescription medications which cause QT interval prolongation are commonly used in daily practice. To lessen risk of TdP, pharmacists work to minimize combinations of QT interval prolonging drugs. If community pharmacists had real-time information about a patient's QT interval duration, this would have the direct ability to inform their decision making about which patients may be at highest risk of TdP and who may need heightened avoidance of QT prolonging drugs. This project will provide 3 community pharmacies with mobile ECG devices to easily determine QT intervals among patients who have a prescription profile alert for QT interval prolongation. Study outcomes will include: frequency of QT interval prolongation, changes in drug therapy related to QT interval determination, and patient and pharmacist satisfaction with having pharmacist assessment of QT interval.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male or female at least 18 years of age.
2. Subject is receiving a prescription medication for which there is a "QT/QTc interval prolongation" alert observed on the dispensing pharmacy prescription software.
3. English speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with implantable pacemakers or automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators
2. Mental condition rendering the subject unable to understand the nature, scope, and possible consequences of the study.
3. Patient has known atrial or ventricular arrhythmia