Automatic blood pressure monitors in Belgian community pharmacy

Patients' demands for automatic blood pressure monitors have increased steadily over the last few years. The offer in the Belgian community pharmacies has risen accordingly. For approximately 40 automatic devices op the Belgian market, an overview is given stating their most important aspects, with emphasis on clinical validation.     

Accuracy of automated community pharmacy–based blood pressure devices

ObjectivesTo estimate accuracy and reliability of pharmacy-based fixed-location automated blood pressure devices (ABPDs) and to test the hypothesis that an ABPD is less accurate with more variable results than a home blood pressure device (HBPD).MethodsRandomized study comparing 99 ABPDs with an Omron Digital HBPD in Indiana pharmacies. Each site was visited by one of five study investigators. A questionnaire was used to collect information about ABPDs. To test the ABPD against the HBPD, investigators measured their own blood pressure with each device three times in random order.ResultsNo significant differences were observed between HBPD and ABPD diastolic readings, whereas a statistically significant difference between HBPD and ABPD systolic readings was found. ABPD measurements are as reliable as HBPD measurements when comparing single measurements from each, but reliability differs with more than one reading.ConclusionCompared with a valid HBPD, the ABPD produces inaccurate systolic blood pressure values but similar reliability. Regular blood pressure measurement by health professionals remains optimal for managing hypertensive individuals.     

A mental health elective to improve pharmacy students' perspectives on mental illness

Objective

To evaluate the impact of a mental health elective on pharmacy students'' perceptions and stigmatizing views of mental illness.

Design

An elective was designed that featured an advanced overview of psychopharmacology; student training in motivational interviewing; a presentation by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) local chapter; introduction to pharmacy collaborations with peer support specialists, social workers, and psychiatrists; mock patient counseling sessions; and a required psychiatric patient interview at a local community mental health center.

Assessment

A survey instrument with 17 Likert-scale items was constructed to measure 2 distinct areas: social distance and stigmatizing views. The survey instrument was administered at the beginning and end of the spring 2010 semester to pharmacy students enrolled in the mental health elective course and to a control group of pharmacy students enrolled in an unrelated clinical elective. The course had a positive impact on pharmacy students'' perceptions of mental illnesses. Students'' social distance and stigmatizing views of mental illnesses improved, while no significant change in views occurred among students in the control group.

Conclusion

Advanced training in psychiatric medicine and exposure to mental health care are vital to prepare pharmacy students to provide unbiased, patient-centered care to this population.     

Comparisons of immunization records between a community pharmacy,a regional registry,and a health system

Objectives

To compare the completeness of immunization records for 6 vaccines between a community pharmacy database, a regional immunization information system (IIS), and a health system’s electronic health record (EHR).

Recall of A1C,blood pressure,and cholesterol levels among community pharmacy patients with diabetes

ObjectivesTo determine the proportion of patients with diabetes mellitus who knew their personal and target glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C), blood pressure, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (ABC) levels and the proportion of patients whose recalled ABC levels were below targets set by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).DesignCross-sectional survey.Setting35 community and clinic pharmacies in May 2003 through May 2004.Participants132 student pharmacists in Ambulatory Pharmaceutical Care Clerkship who recruited a convenience sample of 816 evaluable patients with diabetes.InterventionStudent-administered questionnaires.Main outcome measuresPatients’ self-reported and target ABC values and comparison of these with recommended ADA guidelines.ResultsThe greatest number of patients were able to recall their personal blood pressure level (68%), followed by A1C (53%) and LDL-C (23%). Of those who knew their levels, one-half or fewer were within ADA targets for one or more ABCs. Only 1% of patients who were able to provide ABC levels were below all three ADA target values. Patients were most likely to provide an A1C target (43%), followed by blood pressure (35%) and LDL-C (21%).ConclusionsWhile almost three-quarters of the patients identified in community pharmacies knew their blood pressure levels, one-half or fewer knew their A1C or LDL-C levels. Fewer than 50% of patients reported even one ABC target number. Pharmacists should take advantage of this educational opportunity by working with patients with diabetes to increase their knowledge of these ABCs.     

Women's health promotion within a community advanced pharmacy practice experience

Objective

To establish low-cost easily conducted health promotion interventions for advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) students in community pharmacy settings that would increase women''s awareness about health issues using Food and Drug Administration (FDA) educational materials.

Methods

Students distributed fact sheets on medication use, heart disease, and diabetes to women over 45 years of age at 6 community pharmacy APPE sites. Interventions completed were either personal medication records (PMR) to identify medication-related problems (MRP) or heart health screenings followed by completion of an anonymous patient satisfaction survey instrument.

Results

Over 1500 fact sheets were distributed. Fifty-eight women (age 61 ± 15 years) completed PMRs, which identified 57 MRPs in 42 patients. Twenty-four women indicated the screening was “useful/very useful” for increasing medication understanding. Sixty-three women completed heart health screenings. Thirty-one of the 40 who completed the survey instrument indicated the screening was “useful/very useful” for learning heart disease risk.

Conclusions

Community pharmacy APPE students interventions identified MRPs and patients at risk for heart disease. These health promotion interventions enhanced women''s awareness of these topics while guiding students to achieve the desired curricular outcomes.