Evaluation of pharmacy-led weight management service to minimise the risk of cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Aims The primary aim of the programme was a minimum of a 5% weight reduction of the initial weight, while the secondary outcomes were a reduction in participants’ body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), AUDIT-C score and an increase in the Mediterranean diet (MD) score and an improvement in physical activity levels. Methods This 'before and after' study was a 10-week weight management (WM) programme and it was developed and delivered in community pharmacies in Patras chosen for convenience, thus consisting the first service of its type in Greece. The sample size was calculated (n = 96) based on the mean BMI for a Greek male and female individual, and the standard deviation (SD) of weight at baseline of 14 kg. Results Nearly every participant enrolled in the 20 participating pharmacies, 97.4% (n = 114/117), achieved the programme’s aim, losing at least 5% of their initial weight. The mean percentage of total weight loss of the 117 participants at the 10th week was 8.97% (SD 2.65), and the t-test showed statistically significant results (P-value < 0.001; 95% CI [8.48, 9.45]). A significant reduction in the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) was observed in both male (P-value = 0.004) and female (P-value < 0.001) participants. The participants’ BP and AUDIT-C score and physical activity levels significantly improved (P-value < 0.001), as well as their MD score. Conclusion This study provides the first evidence that Greek pharmacists have the potential to play an important role within primary healthcare and that after training they are able to provide public health services for both the public’s benefit and their clinical role enhancement.

Pharmacists’ involvement in physical activity promotion in community pharmacy: a systematic review

“… 15 , 24 , 27 , 31 , 34 We found two studies in the UK, 25 , 26 Egypt 16 , 18 and Thailand. 35 , 37 All the remaining studies were from different countries: Canada, 13 France, 17 Germany, 21 Ghana, 28 Greece, 32 Iran, 20 Italy, 40 Japan, 38 Nigeria, 23 Norway, 22 Turkey 30 and Spain. 41…”

“…The remaining 19 studies had some concerns or a high risk of bias. Most studies provided interventions focusing on lifestyle counselling aiming at changing behaviours and increasing PA, 23 , 25 , 27–31 , 33 , 34 , 36–39 and some used booklets as support materials 24 , 32 , 35 , 40 or additional telephone calls.41…”

Lifestyle Patterns of Patients with Alopecia and Factors Affecting their Willingness to Undergo Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Adults

“…In contrast, studies reported a higher prevalence of alopecia in men than women (Mostaghimi et al, 2021;Trager et al, 2021). This difference can be explained by the fact that the sample was recruited from pharmacies and therefore might include a higher proportion of women visitors (Peletidi & Kayyali, 2021). In addition, 44.7% of the patients had an abnormal body mass index which can be inducing hair loss and accelerate hair thinning (Morinaga et al, 2021).…”

The impact of clinical pharmacist-led health education on the disease course of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients: an interventional study

“…29 Pharmacists are considered one of the most trustworthy and accessible health care professionals, and are ideally situated to provide patient counseling regarding disease state, life style changes and medication. 1,30 Pharmacists have a crucial role in enhancing patient health and medication literacy, thus ensuring patient concordance. 17 The AASLD recommendation for management of NAFLD prioritizes weight loss via dietary modification alone or with exercise.…”