Novartis-Wesfarmers embark on the next wave of novel healthcare delivery in heart disease

Pharma News: In an innovative move to combat cardiovascular disease (CVD), Aussies will now have the power to assess their risk of heart conditions through pop-up clinics. The nation is about to embark on a heart-health screening program Healthy Hearts set to be the next wave of healthcare delivery.

Thanks to a partnership between Novartis and Wesfarmers Health – a subsidiary of retail giant Wesfarmers which owns Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API), Priceline Pharmacy, Pharmacist Advice, and Soul Pattinson Chemist groups – this free screening program will reach Australians where they are, offering convenient testing for cardiovascular health status in alternative locations outside the traditional General Practice (GP) setting. From shopping centres to community events, these pop-up clinics will be easily accessible to everyone.

At the Medinfo23 conference last week, a healthcare influencer and host of the popular YouTube series WTF Health, Jessica DaMassa, unveiled three trending topics that are reshaping the US healthcare landscape, raising questions on the local impact of these transformative trends. The collaboration between Novartis and Wesfarmers Health stands as a prime example of these trends in action, sparking curiosity about the evolving landscape of healthcare delivery.

The Healthy Hearts screening program, funded by Novartis and spearheaded on the ground by Wesfarmers Health, is enlisting the expertise of trained pharmacists to conduct screenings for crucial cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure and cholesterol. Participants will undergo a 15-minute appointment that includes a short lifestyle questionnaire, measurement of BMI (body mass index), and a finger-prick blood test for a full cholesterol panel, with instant results provided right then and there.

Emily Amos, Managing Director at Wesfarmers Health, expressed excitement about the initiative, emphasising its crucial role in identifying potential CVD risks.

“As the leading cause of death in Australia, it must be simpler for people to detect and ultimately manage heart disease, both to improve health outcomes and lower health care costs. Wesfarmers Health is committed to making Australians’ health and wellness experiences simpler, more affordable, and easier to access, which is why we have increased our investment in our screening partner, SiSU Health, provider of the medical-grade health screening devices utilised as part of Healthy Hearts. In offering ‘while you wait’ heart health checks, we want to attract those who might otherwise put off the screening that could save their life,” she said.

The program’s success has already been evident in rural locations across Victoria, where 85% of the 983 participants screened during 14 successful Healthy Hearts pop-ups were found to have at least one risk factor for CVD. Shockingly, many had high cholesterol (37%), high blood pressure (37.6%), or were overweight or obese (84%).

Leading the charge is world-renowned Australian cardiologist, Professor Stephen Nicholls, who remarked on the urgent need for alternative solutions to screening and education.

“The heart health of those who have participated in the Healthy Hearts program to date reveals a concerningly high prevalence of risk factors that remain uncontrolled. This serves as a wake-up call to develop better approaches to detecting the true level of risk in the community and effective strategies to then target them to lower the risk of heart attacks and stroke. What we are seeing from these participants is likely to be indicative of many people across Australia,” he said.

The impact of this initiative extends beyond just the numbers, as Richard Tew, Country President of Novartis Australia, highlighted.

“Each year in Australia, more than 50,000 people experience a heart attack. This is a damning figure and as a nation, we need to do better to help reduce the impact on families and our health system that cardiovascular disease can have. Providing Australians with additional opportunities to identify their risk of CVD by introducing heart health screenings in alternative environments outside of hospitals or GP practices has the potential to increase people’s awareness and encourage them to investigate their situation with their treating physician,” he said.

This timely initiative comes as CVD continues to impact millions of Australians, leading to more than half a million hospitalisations each year and tragically becoming the leading cause of death in the country. It particularly affects those aged 45 and over, and with modifiable risk factors such as smoking, poor diet, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol coming into play, tackling the issue head-on has never been more critical.

Currently, 90% of Australian adults are living with at least one risk factor. However, the majority of Australians eligible for cardiovascular risk screening are not having a check in a timely manner, with results from a Heart Foundation survey last year showing 64% of those aged between 45 and 74 had not taken up a Heart Health Check within the last two years.