LAUSR

Purpose SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) decrease morbidity and mortality in patients with HFrEF and have potential but unstudied benefits in LVAD patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a provider education program and SGLT2i initiation protocol on SGLT2i prescribing and to determine barriers to SGLT2i utilization. Methods This was a single center, retrospective, cross-sectional cohort study of an outpatient LVAD patient population. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients on SGLT2i therapy seen in clinic prior to (May/June 2019) and after (May/June 2020) pharmacist-led protocol development and provider education. Candidates for SGLT2i were those with NYHA Class II-IV symptoms, MAP ≥ 80 mmHg, and eGFR ≥ 20 mL/min. Chi-square and t-tests were used to compare categorical and continuous data, respectively. Results A total of 272 LVAD outpatient encounters were evaluated; patient characteristics were similar between the pre- and post-protocol cohorts (Table 1). No patients in the pre-protocol cohort received SGLT2i therapy despite 67 being appropriate candidates. In the post-protocol cohort, 25 patients (16.0%) were already receiving an SGLT2i (p Conclusion Pharmacist-led provider education and initiation protocols can increase SGLT2i utilization in outpatients supported by LVADs, leading to a larger patient population in which the potential benefits of these therapies on clinical outcomes can be evaluated.