Heart Failure Unfiltered: More Than Medicines – The Untapped Power of Pharmacy in Heart Failure

Could pharmacists be the difference that people with heart failure have been asking for?

In this episode of Heart Failure Unfiltered, host Nick Hartson — founder and CEO of the Pumping Marvellous Foundation, the UK's heart failure charity — sits down with two pharmacy experts who are reshaping how we think about heart failure care. Katie Peters, a clinical pharmacist and independent prescriber specialising in heart failure in primary care, and Joe Bateman, a consultant cardiology pharmacist and heart failure service lead at the Countess of Chester Hospital, break down the evolving role of pharmacists across the entire heart failure pathway.

Together, they explore how the traditional "dispensing pharmacist" label no longer reflects the reality of the profession. From pre-diagnosis and early symptom recognition through to tailored medication optimisation, managing comorbidities, and end-of-life care, pharmacists are embedded at every stage of the patient journey. The conversation dives deep into the challenges of HFpEF (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction), the critical gap in medication reinitiation after hospital admissions, the importance of patient education in tackling non-compliance, and why the healthcare system still underutilises the clinical expertise pharmacists bring to the multidisciplinary team.

Whether you're a healthcare professional, a patient living with heart failure, or a carer supporting a loved one, this episode offers a clear, honest look at how pharmacists can transform outcomes — and what needs to change for that potential to be fully realised.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 - Welcome to Heart Failure Unfiltered00:38 - The Untapped Power of Pharmacy in Heart Failure01:20 - Meet the Experts: Katie Peters & Joe Bateman02:47 - Is the "Dispensing Pharmacist" Label Outdated?05:09 - Are Pharmacists Reaching Their Full Clinical Potential?09:24 - From Pre-Diagnosis to End of Life: The Full Pathway13:48 - Medication Optimisation & Patient Education18:35 - Spotting Heart Failure Early: Every Pharmacist's Role24:03 - Marvellous Myth Buster: Is Heart Failure Curable?25:10 - HFpEF: Where Pharmacists Become Superheroes29:49 - Hospital Admissions & the Medication Gap34:25 - The Biggest Impact Pharmacists Can Make Right Now42:38 - If You Could Change One Thing: Final Thoughts

📌 Call to Action

Heart failure doesn't just affect one person — it affects families, partners, and carers too. The Pumping Marvellous Foundation provides resources and support to help families navigate heart failure together. If this episode resonated with you:

🔹 Support our work — Visit pumpingmarvellous.org to donate and help us continue supporting families facing heart failure.🔹 Subscribe — Hit subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of Heart Failure Unfiltered.🔹 Share — If you found this valuable, share it with someone who needs to hear it.🔹 Get involved — This is the first in a two-part series on pharmacy and heart failure. Stay tuned for Part 2.

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