title: The role of community pharmacists in supporting self-management in patients with psoriasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The majority of patients with psoriasis have mild to moderate disease which can be managed in primary care with topical therapies. The supportive role of pharmacists for patients with long-term dermatological conditions is largely unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of an educational intervention delivered by community pharmacists to improve self-management for people with psoriasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved a pre- and post-intervention design. Seven community pharmacies were selected based on their location (urban, rural etc.) and the pharmacists recruited via local comprehensive research networks. Patients with mild to moderate psoriasis were recruited either opportunistically or via a letter of invite by pharmacists who undertook a face-to-face consultation with one follow-up visit after 6 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in person-centred dermatology self-care index (PEDESI) score and secondary outcomes were the self-assessed psoriasis and severity index (SAPASI), measuring disease severity and the dermatology quality of life index (DLQI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 47 patients were recruited. At 6 weeks, 42/47 (89.3%) patients completed the follow-up consultation. There was a significant increase in mean PEDESI scores (25.15 versus 17.78, P < 0.001) at 6 weeks compared to baseline. Similarly, SAPASI (11.60 versus 7.74, P < 0.001) and DLQI (7.21 versus 4.14, P < 0.001) scores improved significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pharmacist-assisted support for patients with psoriasis improved knowledge, reduced disease severity and the impact on quality of life. These results suggest that community pharmacists might have an important role to play in facilitating self-management for patients with psoriasis.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy & Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: Rod
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy & Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D024382:Professional Role; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: clinical interventions; clinical practice; clinical topics; community pharmacy; other topics