Hours of learning: 2

Publication date: 2011

Aim
This course has been written for healthcare professionals who prescribe or dispense medications for people with heart failure. This document outlines good practice regarding decision making in regard to the use of medications in the management of heart failure.

Intended learning outcomes
Having completed this course you should be able to:

• discuss the epidemiology, aetiology, prognosis, and classification of heart failure
• outline the objectives of drug treatment
• describe the place of ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-2 receptor antagonists, beta-blockers, diuretics, aldosterone agonists, hydralazine, isosorbide dinitrate, and digoxin in people with heart failure.