Starz-Drp: A Tool for Pharmacy Triage Services

Abstract

Objective: The aims of this study are to demonstrate a feasibility study, using an approach, known as STARZ-DRP to counsel people about health complaints and identify drug-related problem (DRPs).Methods: This study involved community pharmacists (CPs) in the state of Penang, Malaysia, randomly selected as study and control groups, recruiting patients to involve in this study according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, excepting for control group which were conducted by trained interviewers. The patients had to involve in two-phase study, baseline and post-study. The study pharmacists had been trained to follow the framework known as STARZ-DRP.Results: Nine CPs agreed to involve in this study, were randomly selected as study (n=5) and control (n=4), recruiting 617 and 636 patients (study, control) accordingly. More male (study = 52.7%; control = 58.2%) were recruited. Cough (study = 23.0%) and nasal problem (control = 29.9%) were indicated as the highest chief complaint by the patients. 81.8% and 37.1% of study and control patients should be referred to general practitioners. Significant differences were observed when comparing the mean ± standard deviation of DRPs between the groups and baseline versus post-study. Conclusion:STARZ-DRP is promoted as a tool to make triaging decision with evidence base at community pharmacy settings.

Community Pharmacy Marketing in the New Era: A Global Picture of Extended Community Pharmacy Services

“…It is necessary to have such mission and vision in order to sustain their values in the eye of other healthcare providers, policymakers, and customers. It is noted in an earlier study that STARZ-DRP might have potential to eliminate a wide range of DRP in the community pharmacy settings [43]. Such a role points out that CPs can perform the identical exercise like the clinical pharmacists in the hospital settings.…”

“…In Australia, CPs have executed the role to ameliorate the clinical and humanistic net results among patients who possess type 2 diabetes [42]. Another pharmaceutical care study in Malaysia discloses the potential of CPs to diagnose a wide range of potential undesirable drug-related problems among their customers [43]. It is also notified that there is a review article which divulges the positive impact of smoking cessation program performed by CPs [44].…”

“…As a consequence, it is critical for CPs to start out this triage action mode as a fundamental extended service in advance. Therefore, STARZ-DRP is picked up as the appropriate fundamental procedure to follow via experience in an earlier study [43]. Foremost, STARZ-DRP is helping out CPs to execute the role as the supreme medication protector via determining the drug-related problem (DRP) which might have potential to be the origin of actual or potential medical problem [50].…”

STARZ-DRP: Improving Efficiency of Patient Care in Community Pharmacies

“…Nonetheless, the course of action is having the chance to put in the picture if the CPs have a strong feeling to employ a structured and systematic approach known as "STARZ-DRP" as a possible modus operandi [41]. This tool used in the earlier studies determines its feasibility to help the CPs to triage the customers with minor ailments [5]. The study reveals that majority of the customers who visit the selected pharmacies are not appropriate candidates for self-care treatment [5].…”

“…Triage action plan is precisely marked as a strategy to assist the people to determine whether their medical problems require a specific medication, further medical examination, or restricted guidance [4]. Such course of action shall be helpful to ensure that the people are accessible to the excellence level of healthcare service, which shall have the chance to keep them away from unwanted side effect or adverse reaction due to inappropriate medicine use [5]. Nonetheless, it is critical to determine the phenomenon which the customer acts or conducts himself or herself toward the CPs particularly related to the provision of extended pharmacy services.…”