Experiences with clinical pharmacy services in a cardiac rehabilitation program in Qatar

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The prevalence of CVDs within the Gulf Cooperation Council, of which Qatar is a member country, is very high. In today’s healthcare system, secondary prevention health management programs have become indispensable approaches for health promotion and disease prevention, because of their convenience, cost-effectiveness, and proven benefits in improving longevity and quality of life. In particular, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a well-established model of care for secondary prevention designed to reduce the burden associated with CVDs. Evidence suggests that CR is cost-effective and significantly reduces cardiovascular-related morbidity and mortality in patients with CVDs. Despite this, CR remains largely underutilized, especially in the context of resource-limited countries, with higher income countries more likely to provide CR than lower income countries. Given the documented evidence of benefits, there is a need to increase the development and utilization of CR programs globally. This chapter presents a global overview of CR programs including their benefits, core components, structure and functions, and delivery. The chapter further discusses the role and values of pharmacists in CR programs with a focus on the State of Qatar. Finally, a description of the clinical pharmacy services and activities in a CR program using Qatar as a case study is presented.