Moss Pharmacy launches healthy heart campaign
Risk profiling should become an integral part of the pharmacist’s
role |
Moss Pharmacy has launched the first stages of its new public health strategy “At the heart of your health”, addressing coronary heart disease.
Customers visiting any Moss Pharmacy are able to complete a multiple
choice diet and lifestyle questionnaire. Their score is reviewed by the
pharmacist and customers may be given advice or asked to revisit the
store to discuss other steps. A booklet entitled “At the heart
of your health” is available for customers, containing facts about
the disease and practical advice for maintaining a healthy heart.
In selected Moss pharmacies, the pharmacist will also carry out a cardiac
risk assessment. Based on the Framingham heart study, this is a more
detailed clinical assessment taking into account risk factors such as
the
patient’s age and family history, and includes blood pressure testing.
Patients will be given an action plan by the pharmacist, or referred
on as appropriate, and may be invited back to the pharmacy for a progress
check. Patients will not be charged for this service.
The strategy is supported by research carried out in conjunction with
North West London NHS Trust.
Speaking at the campaign launch, Tricia Kennerley, NHS services director
and superintendent pharmacist for Moss, said the company would like to
see patients monitored for CHD risk factors in the pharmacy on an ongoing
basis. She said: “Risk profiling should be routine, and become
an integral part of the pharmacist’s role, not just a one-off.”
Subsequent steps of the campaign to be rolled out in the next few months
will focus on smoking, obesity and weight management, diabetes and blood
pressure.
Ms Kennerley told The Journal: “We are acutely aware of the importance
of community pharmacy’s role in supporting the Government’s
target to reduce the incidence of CHD. We anticipate that we will be
able to use the outcomes from this initiative to inform and support primary
care trusts in shaping services to meet their local patient needs. Going
forward, we believe this type of initiative will be funded through the
new pharmacy contract framework.” |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal