The WVU Heart and Vascular Institute (HVI) and the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy are expanding a heart failure care program that helps patients living in rural areas get specialized cardiovascular support through their local pharmacies.
Participating pharmacies will serve as an ongoing point of support for patients between cardiology appointments, helping reinforce care plans and maintain communication with specialty providers. The program includes 22 pharmacists across 12 pharmacies in West Virginia and southern Pennsylvania.
A diagnosis of heart failure poses significant challenges in rural communities, where geographic distance and limited availability of specialists can make it difficult to access consistent specialty cardiovascular care. This program connects pharmacists directly to HVI heart failure doctors to support medication management, patient education, adherence monitoring, immunization services, and ongoing care.
“Ensuring patients with heart failure can access consistent, high-quality cardiovascular care remains one of our most pressing challenges,” George Sokos, D.O., chair of Cardiology and director of the Advanced Heart Failure Program at HVI, said. “This model helps integrate specialty expertise into community settings, allowing patients to remain connected to a structured care plan supported by both pharmacists and cardiology teams.”
Through direct collaboration with HVI specialists and primary care providers, participating pharmacists help optimize guideline-directed medical therapy, minimize the use of medications that can worsen heart failure, identify adherence concerns, provide patient education, and support efforts to reduce hospitalizations and worsening heart failure events.
“This collaboration is built on direct communication between pharmacists, cardiology teams, and primary care providers,” Kazuhiko Kido, Pharm.D., associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the School of Pharmacy, said. “It allows pharmacists to identify medication-related concerns early, communicate directly with heart failure specialists, and support coordinated care decisions that improve medication optimization, education, and continuity of care.”
Participating pharmacies include:
Moundsville Pharmacy – Moundsville
White Hall Pharmacy – Fairmont
Town and Country Drug Store – Stonewood
Jefferson Pharmacy – Ranson
South Berkeley Pharmacy – Inwood
WVU Medicine Thomas Memorial Hospital Pharmacy – Charleston
Community Care of West Virginia – Marlinton
Cox Pharmacy – Parkersburg (three locations)
McCracken Pharmacy – Waynesburg, Pa.
Curtis Pharmacy – Carmichaels, Pa., and Connellsville, Pa.
“We hope this program changes the way heart failure care is delivered in rural communities by making pharmacists a more integrated part of the care team,” Amber Conrad of Moundsville Pharmacy said. “Patients deserve consistent support between office visits, and this collaboration helps provide that ongoing connection to care.”
The initiative also aims to help address barriers that many rural patients face when specialty cardiology services require significant travel or have limited appointment availability.
“Access to specialty care can be a significant challenge in rural areas, and patients often rely heavily on their local pharmacy as their primary point of contact,” Charles Adamson of McCracken Pharmacy said. “This collaborative model helps close that gap by allowing earlier identification of concerns and more timely coordination with cardiology providers.”
The initiative was first developed in 2024 and is supported by philanthropic contributions from Bob Powell, Pharm.D., a 1971 graduate of the WVU School of Pharmacy. Dr. Powell’s support reflects a deep commitment to expanding health equity in rural communities.
“Many of my Powell ancestors on the family farm near Paw Paw died from heart attacks and strokes,” he said. “The closest physician or hospital was hours away across winding roads. This physician-pharmacy collaboration will benefit West Virginians and beyond.”
Additional support from the Benedum Foundation has helped extend the program’s reach into further underserved communities across West Virginia.
Program enrollment begins in August. Patients in participating communities are encouraged to speak with their local pharmacy to determine availability.
To learn more about the program, like how to enroll, click here.