OUTCOME OF CHOLESTEROL SCREENING IN A COMMUNITY PHARMACY

The purpose of our study was to determine if a community pharmacist could affect total blood cholesterol (TBC) of ambulatory patients by a program of education, consultation, and cholesterol screening. Of 241 initially screened individuals, 57 patients with TBC >5.17 mmol/L (>200 mg/dL) met the inclusion criteria of this six-month study. Of these, 51 completed the study. Outcome was determined by changes in TBC measured during the initial screening and after two follow-up visits. Pharmacist intervention included obtaining TBC concentrations and reporting the results to patients, teaching patients about the role of cholesterol in illness and health, explaining risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, and providing follow-up communication with patients. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Mann-Whitney, and chi-square. The mean TBC was 5.84 mmol/L (225.7 mg/dL) for the study group and 4.23 mmol/L (163.8 mg/dL) for participants with TBC < 5.17 mmol/L (<200 mg/dL) (p < 0.0001). There was a significant difference (p = 0.0124) in mean age for the study group (36.4 years) versus other participants (30.0 years) but no difference in distribution by gender (p = 0.18). ANOVA showed significant differences in TBC during the three visits (p < 0.0001). There was a significant decrease in mean TBC concentrations between visits 1 and 2 and between visits 1 and 3 (p < 0.0001), but no difference between visits 2 and 3 (p = 0.48). Compared with mean baseline values, 81.4 and 72.6 percent of the patients had a decline in TBC at visits 2 and 3, respectively. Cholesterol screening, as part of a patient education program performed by a community pharmacist, was associated with significant serum cholesterol reductions in patients with elevated concentrations.