Cardiovascular disease contributes to mortality and morbidity statistics worldwide and in South Africa. The current focus in health care revolves around activities aimed at preventing the development of cardiovascular disease, rather than the treatment of disease. The identification of risk factors that can predispose a patient to the development of cardiovascular disease is an essential component of any cardiovascular disease management programme. It is necessary that in the management of these risk factors, they are not considered to be isolated, but inter-related. Through the provision of point-of-care cardiovascular risk screening and monitoring services as well as disease-related counselling, the community pharmacist, as a readily accessible source of healthcare, can play an essential role in the cardiovascular disease management process. The aim of this study was to describe the nature of the services provided by community pharmacists with respect to cardiovascular risk and disease management in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The research design was a non-experimental, descriptive study using a crosssectional survey method. Data was obtained through the utilisation of a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three sections and was administered to community pharmacies in the Nelson Mandela Metropole, that provided cardiovascular point-of-care screening services. The community pharmacists correctly identified cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity (76.6 percent; 36, n=47) and smoking (27.7 percent; 13, n=47). Other cardiovascular risk factors such as abdominal obesity (4.2 percent; 2, n=47), gender (2.1 percent; 1, n=47) and family history (4.2 percent; 2, n=47) were largely ignored by the pharmacists. Point-of-care testing services were readily available in the pharmacies, with all of the pharmacies providing blood glucose and blood pressure measurements. Blood cholesterol measurements were only provided in 87.8 percent (36, n=41) of the pharmacies. The services were generally provided in a clinic facility, with 90.2 percent (37, n=41) of the pharmacies having a clinic facility available. Pharmacists were involved in the provision of point-of-care services, with 85.4 percent (35, n=41) of the pharmacies indicating that the pharmacists participated. Pharmacists readily provided counselling prior (70.7 percent; 29, n=41) to and after (80.5 percent; 33, n=41) the conduction of the screening services on areas such as lifestyle modification and treatment options. Only 15 percent (7, n=47) of the pharmacists indicated that they were aware of Cardiovascular Risk Calculator Tools and none of the pharmacists indicated that they had utilised such a tool. Pharmacists recommended frequent monitoring (60.5 percent; 26, n=43) and lifestyle modification (67.4 percent; 29, n=43) to patients, if the result of their screening service was within normal limits. However, the majority of the pharmacists indicated that they would refer patients, if the results obtained were out of the normal range. Conclusions based on the findings indicated that the pharmacists are readily providing cardiovascular risk screening services. The pharmacists were also able to identify the presence of any risk factors that can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease in the patients. However, active pharmaceutical involvement in further cardiovascular disease monitoring seemed to be lacking. Recommendations were made on areas such as reimbursement for pharmaceutical care services, increased utilisation of support staff and Continuing Professional Development events that could assist in improving the role of the community pharmacist in cardiovascular disease management.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nmmu/vital:10150 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Venter, Ignatius Johannes Erhardt |
| Publisher | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Faculty of Health Sciences |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Masters, MPharm |
| Format | xix, 182 leaves ; 30 cm, pdf |
| Rights | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University |
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