title: Screening for osteoporosis among post-menopausal women in community pharmacy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify postmenopausal women with risk of osteoporosis through quantitative ultrasound imaging (QUI) and to value the medical intervention after the determination of the bone mineral density (BMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional descriptive study developed in a community pharmacy. During the month of June of 2005 the community pharmacy enrolled postmenopausal women into the study. Women in treatment with calcium, vitamin D, hormone replacement therapy, estrogen receptor modulators, calcitonin or biphosphonates were considered criteria for exclusion. To all the women that consent to participate, the pharmacist measured BMD with the device Sahara Hologic Ultrasound Bone Densitometer at right calcaneus. Following the World Health Organization, women were classified as osteoporotic if their T-Score was less than -2.5 and as osteopenic if their T-Score ranged between -2.5 and -1.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 100 women screened, 11 (11%) presented risk of osteoporosis and 61 (61%) of osteopenia. The 18.5% postmenopausal women with body mass index lesser than 30 presented risk of osteoporosis and the 63.0% osteopenia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The QUI constitutes a useful tool in community pharmacy for the screening of osteoporosis and it supposes a greater integration of the community pharmacy within the health care.
authors.affiliation: Community pharmacist at Benalmadena - Malaga ( Spain ).
authors.forename: Damià
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barris Blundell
authors.affiliation: Community pharmacist at Benalmadena - Malaga ( Spain ).
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Zarzuelo
authors.affiliation: Community pharmacist at Benalmadena - Malaga ( Spain ).
authors.forename: Belén
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sabio Sánchez
authors.affiliation: pharmacist at Benalmadena - Malaga ( Spain ).
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez Álvarez
authors.affiliation: Community pharmacist at Benalmadena - Malaga ( Spain ).
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Navarro Visa
authors.affiliation: Community pharmacist at Benalmadena - Malaga ( Spain ).
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Muñoz Valdés
authors.affiliation: Community pharmacist at Benalmadena - Malaga ( Spain ).
authors.forename: Belén
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Garrido Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Community pharmacist at Benalmadena - Malaga ( Spain ).
authors.forename: Rocío Sánchez
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gómez
keywords: Mass screening; Osteopenia; Osteoporosis; Spain; Ultrasonography