Astra Zeneca is working with Numark to make a Numark-branded version of its MIDAS system available to Numark pharmacists, Mr Nick Cartwright (Astra Zeneca's national accounts manager) told the conference on October 14. The move would help to increase the professional standing of Numark pharmacists, he said.
The MIDAS (migraine disability assessment score) system had been conceived by a panel of headache experts as a diagnostic tool for migraine. It was already available to doctors, but Astra Zeneca was keen that it should be used as a referral tool by community pharmacists.
Mr Cartwright said that the system was an activity which involved the pharmacist in discussion with the patient. "It also has the potential to increase footfall in community pharmacies," he added.
The MIDAS pack contained a guide to headache differentiation and a questionnaire comprising simple, objective questions for the patient on how their headache affected their daily activities, Mr Cartwright explained.
If, after the patient had completed the questionnaire, the pharmacist suspected that he or she was a migraine sufferer, there was a referral note for the pharmacist to fill in which the patient could take to his or her general practitioner.
The note had a space for the pharmacy stamp. "This shows the general practitioner that the patient has already had a professional consultation about their headache," Mr Cartwright said.
He told the conference that MIDAS was one way for pharmacists to add value to a customer visit.