Analysis of primary prevention services for cardiovascular disease in Australia's community pharmacies.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the prevalence and factors associated with the provision of primary preventive services for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Australia's community pharmacies.


METHODS
The data were from the 2002 Australia's National Pharmacy Database Project. Questionnaires were completed by a nationally representative 1,131 out of a possible 1,391 pharmacies (81.3% response rate), stratified into PhARIA (remoteness) zones. Preventive services for CVD were analysed by frequency of provision of services. Ordinal analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to ascertain predictors of services.


RESULTS
Most community pharmacies initiated nicotine replacement therapies, 58.1% provided blood pressure screening, 11.6% anthropometric tests and 7.6% blood cholesterol screening. Pharmacies in promotional groups, having high customer numbers, an enclosed counselling area, or forward pharmacy area, were significantly associated with providing preventive services for CVD.


CONCLUSIONS
The configuration and size of Australia's community pharmacies were associated with providing primary preventive services for CVD.
Joyce
Andrew
A
School of Pharmacy and School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. a.joyce@curtin.edu.au
Berbatis
Constantine G
CG
Sunderland
V Bruce
VB
Dhaliwal
Satvinder S
SS
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001315:Australia; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019992:Databases as Topic; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010594:Pharmacies; D011322:Primary Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires