title: Men's health initiative risk assessment study: effect of community pharmacy-based screening.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether community pharmacists using a risk assessment tool could encourage men who were overdue for a physical examination to visit a physician and to calculate the return on investment from the pharmacy perspective for offering a complimentary risk assessment service.
  
  
  METHODS
  12-week, prospective cohort study using convenience sampling among men who visited participating pharmacies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-section of community pharmacies.
  
  
  METHODS
  382 men aged 25-74 years with potential health risks that were untreated or uncontrolled, or who had not had a physical examination within the past year.
  
  
  METHODS
  Screening for specific health risks with or without telephone follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Overall male patient response to pharmacist recommendations for follow-up medical care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 382 men identified by the Men's Health Risk Assessment Tool (MHRAT) as being at risk for 1,194 significant health conditions (mean, 3.1 conditions per patient), 69% had not received a physical examination from a physician for a period ranging from more than 1 year to 22.6 years. Of men who were recommended to make an appointment, 64% were seen by a physician or were waiting on a scheduled appointment at the end of the study. No differences were seen between the telephone intervention group and the control group in rates of obtaining a physician examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A positive public health initiative involving community pharmacists was demonstrated in this study. Community pharmacists had a significant impact on motivating men to see a physician for follow-up care once a potential health risk was identified. The MHRAT and the pharmacist recommendation or patient education were the motivating factors and not follow-up telephone interventions by the pharmacist. Given community pharmacists' unique accessibility, an enormous opportunity exists for community pharmacists to raise awareness of men's health care and influence men's health behavior.
authors.affiliation: United Pharmacy Resources, Houston, Tex, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coffey
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Palmer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment