title: Sleep disorders screening, sleep health awareness, and patient follow-up by community pharmacists in Australia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community pharmacies are well placed to deliver education and counseling to improve sleep health.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop, implement and evaluate a pharmacist led sleep health program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participating pharmacists (n=23) were trained to screen, counsel and follow up patients at risk of sleep disorders. Patients were screened for specific sleep disorders, counseled, provided written information and/or referred to physicians. Patient outcomes were evaluated by questionnaire at 3 or 12 months post screening.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 325 patients were screened, with 142 (44%) patients at risk of one or more sleep disorders. A total of 847 interventions were recorded by pharmacists: verbal counseling (49%), written information (34%), and referrals (16%). A total of 63 patients (of 99 recalling being referred) reported acting on their referral. Positive changes were made with smoking (4%), caffeine intake (10%), alcohol intake (9%) and improved sleep environment (19%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pharmacists can raise awareness through educating patients on sleep health, and through counseling initiate behavior change in those at risk of having or developing a sleep disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further research using this feasibility study can help in understanding the utility of pharmacists screening patients for sleep disorders and educating the public in sleep health.
authors.affiliation: The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. joanne.fuller@sydney.edu.au
authors.forename: Joanne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: Keith K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Krass
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grunstein
authors.forename: Bandana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D003376:Counseling; D004513:Education, Pharmacy, Continuing; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D010595:Pharmacists; D011314:Preventive Health Services; D024382:Professional Role; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult