Impact of a pharmaceutical care program in a community pharmacy on patients with dyslipidemia.
BACKGROUND
Inappropriate use of medications is a significant problem in health care today. A possible solution to this problem may be achieved through better control of patients' drug therapy.


OBJECTIVE
To design a pharmaceutical care program for dyslipidemic patients within a community pharmacy setting that provides education in the areas of medication compliance and lifestyle modifications, while emphasizing the importance of achieving cholesterol goals to ensure improvement in quality of life.


METHODS
Patients at an outpatient pharmacy volunteered to be surveyed for 16 weeks. Although both the intervention and control groups were surveyed, the randomly selected intervention group was interviewed more frequently and more comprehensively. Cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, weight, risk factors, drug-related problems (DRPs), and quality of life were measured via a survey at the onset of the study and continually measured until the study's conclusion.


RESULTS
In the intervention group, 26 DRPs were detected, of which 24 were resolved; in the control group, 26 DRPs were detected, of which 5 were resolved. When comparing initial and final blood cholesterol levels in the intervention group, the mean decrease was 27.0 +/- 41.1 mg/dL (p = 0.0266); in the control group, the average blood cholesterol level decreased by a mean of 1.4 +/- 37.2 mg/dL (p = 0.6624). In the intervention group, the triglyceride level decreased an average of 50.5 +/- 80.3 mg/dL (p = 0.0169), while the control group experienced a mean triglyceride level increase of 29.6 +/- 118.5 mg/dL (p = 0.1435). As a result of the intervention, the quality of life in the intervention group was improved.


CONCLUSIONS
Short-term pharmaceutical care plans developed in a retail pharmacy within the proper setting may contribute to improved blood lipid values, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and patients' quality of life.
Paulós
Claudio P
CP
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. cpaulos@fasa.cl
Nygren
Carin E Akesson
CE
Celedón
Consuelo
C
Cárcamo
Carina A
CA
D000368:Aged; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D002677:Chile; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life
D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin