Health screenings are an important tool that pharmacists can provide as part of medication therapy management (MTM) services. Screenings that pharmacists can offer as part of preventive care include those for blood sugar and blood pressure measurements, cholesterol levels, opioid use disorder (OUD), and mental health (Figure1-5). The use of technology can also encourage pharmacists to look for risk factors.1 Pharmacists are in a unique position to offer screenings in their MTM practice settings to improve patient health outcomes and reduce racial disparities.
Pharmacies can screen patients by appointment when they collect their medications, which can also improve compliance.1 The CDC has established a framework for community pharmacists and physicians to promote preventive health services.2 In 2018, the Allegheny County Health Department received a cooperative agreement from the CDC through its Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) initiative to implement a program for Black individuals in 6 communities to reduce health disparities.2 Services included behavioral counseling, referrals and screenings. The program included 702 patients, and 72% were referred to clinical and social services, with pharmacists playing a vital role in preventive health measures.2
Pharmacy students can also have a significant impact on patient care through health screenings.
A study evaluated the clinical impact of an intensive introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) focused on health and wellness in community pharmacy, completed during the second year of pharmacy school. pharmacy.3
The week-long rotation gave pharmacy students the opportunity to provide clinical services to patients in a community pharmacy setting and included the following activities: administering vaccinations, performing blood glucose and blood pressure tests and provide patient education under the supervision of licensed pharmacists.3 147 pharmacy students completed the IPPE at 89 community pharmacy training sites, and 3,458 patient health assessments were completed.3 Study results showed that pharmacy students were able to improve their clinical skills and improve patient health outcomes through IPPE.3 This demonstrates the important role that pharmacy students can play as members of the health care team to perform community pharmacy health screenings.
Pharmacists can play a vital role in community-based OUD screenings to prevent drug overdoses. More than 96,000 drug overdose deaths occurred between March 2020 and March 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the CDC.4
Pharmacists also play a critical role in ensuring patients have access to the life-saving medication naloxone to reverse an opioid overdose. The Resources Encouraging Safe Prescription Opioid and Naloxone Dispensing (RESPOND) toolkit was designed to improve opioid safety testing and communication practices in community pharmacies.5 The toolkit consists of a 3-module online training course and printable materials, including a patient screening and communication algorithm, a pharmacist-prescriber communication checklist, and a RESPOND course guide from the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) for point-of-care use.5
These screening tools, along with the PDMP, can increase awareness of the opioid epidemic and promote communication between patients, pharmacists, and prescribers. The filtering and communication algorithm includes a 3-step process.
Step 1 includes initial screening and review of medication use, with identification of red flags on prescriptions. Step 2 is the safety trigger review which involves assessing opioid dose and potential drug interactions, such as benzodiazepines, and identifying “doctor buys.” Step 3 involves responding to the patient to discuss concerns about opioids and communicating with the patient and prescriber.5
Jennifer Gershman, PharmD, CPh, PACS, is a pharmacist drug information and Pharmacy Times contributor who resides in South Florida.
THE REFERENCES
1. 4 Ways Pharmacists Can Become Preventative Care Champions. McKesson. November 26, 2018. Accessed November 11, 2021. https://www.mckesson.com/Blog/Pharmacists-Champions-Preventive-Care/
2. Elliott JP, Christian SN, Doong K, Hardy HE, Mendez DD, Gary-Webb TL. Involving Pharmacists in Addressing Public Health Priorities and Community Needs: The Allegheny County Racial and Ethnic Approaches (REACH) Project. Previous Dis chronicle. 2021;18:E07. doi:10.5888/pcd18.200490
3. McDowell L, Helmer R, Stevenson TL, Sierko A, Braxton Lloyd K. Clinical impact of an introductory pharmacy practice experience on health and wellness in community pharmacy. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2021;S1544-3191(21)00427-1. doi:10.1016/j.japh.2021.10.008
4. Provisional number of drug overdose deaths. CDC. Updated November 17, 2021. Accessed November 11, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm
5. REPLY Toolbox. PharmacistRespond.org. Accessed November 11, 2021. https://pharmacistrespond.org/
