[The experience of community pharmacy in SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection tests programs.] / Experiencia de la farmacia comunitaria en los programas de pruebas de detección de antígenos del SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 infection was an unprecedented pandemic with unprecedented global health and socio-economic impact. More than 13 million cases had been confirmed in Spain by August 2022, and diagnostic testing to detect cases of infection in the country has helped to partially mitigate the spread of the virus. In 2021, the first self-testing antigen tests were marketed for dispensing in community pharmacies, and over-the-counter dispensing was allowed from July of that year. The network of community pharmacies played a key role, not only in the informed dispensing of these tests, but also in actively participating in the performance, supervision and reporting of results to the health authorities, and even in the issuing of digital certificates. A compilation has been made of all the available data on the subject, with a deadline of 13 February 2022, which is considered to be the end of the sixth wave of the epidemic in Spain. The results of the action taken by community pharmacies in twelve Autonomous Communities, which somehow participated in these initiatives by carrying out or supervising a total of 1,043,800 tests, from which 109,570 positive cases (10.5% of the total) were detected and reported to the National Health System, are presented in this article. Although the results are provisional, because many of the programmes are still ongoing, they are a clear demonstration of the potential that community pharmacies can play in Public Health work.

La infección por SARS-CoV-2 ha constituido una pandemia con un impacto sanitario y socioeconómico global sin precedentes. Con más de trece millones de casos confirmados en España hasta agosto de 2022, la realización de pruebas diagnósticas para detectar los casos de infección ha permitido atenuar parcialmente la expansión del virus. Durante 2021 se comercializaron los primeros test de antígenos para autodiagnóstico, de dispensación en farmacias comunitarias, y desde julio de ese año se permitió su dispensación sin receta médica. La red de farmacias comunitarias jugó un papel fundamental, no solo por la dispensación informada de dichos test, sino participando activamente en la realización, en la supervisión de su realización y en la notificación de resultados a las autoridades sanitarias, e incluso en la emisión de certificados digitales. Se ha realizado una recopilación de todos los datos disponibles al respecto, fijando como límite temporal la semana del 13 de febrero de 2022, por considerarse como el final de la sexta ola de la epidemia en España. El presente artículo revela los resultados derivados de la actuación de las farmacias de doce comunidades autónomas, que participaron de una forma u otra en dichas iniciativas mediante la realización o supervisión de un total de 1.043.800 pruebas, a partir de las cuales se detectaron 109.570 casos positivos (un 10,5% del total), que fueron comunicados al Sistema Nacional de Salud. Los resultados son provisionales, pues muchos de los programas continúan vigentes, pero son una muestra inequívoca del potencial que las farmacias comunitarias pueden desempeñar en tareas de Salud Pública.

Experiencia de la farmacia comunitaria en los programas de pruebas de detección de antígenos del SARS-CoV-2 / The experience of community pharmacy in SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection tests programs

FUNDAMENTOS: La infección por SARS-CoV-2 ha constituido una pandemia con un impacto sanitario y socioeconómico global sin precedentes. Con más de trece millones de casos confirmados en España hasta agosto de 2022, la realización de pruebas diagnósticas para detectar los casos de infección ha permitido atenuar parcialmente la expansión del virus. Durante 2021 se comercializaronlos primeros test de antígenos para autodiagnóstico, de dispensación en farmacias comunitarias, y desde julio de ese año se permitió su dispensación sin receta médica. La red de farmacias comunitarias jugó un papel fundamental, no solo por la dispensación informada de dichos test, sino participando activamente en la realización, en la supervisión de su realización y en la notificación de resultadosa las autoridades sanitarias, e incluso en la emisión de certificados digitales.Se ha realizado una recopilación de todos los datos disponibles al respecto, fijando como límite temporal la semana del 13 de febrero de 2022, por considerarse como el final de la sexta ola de la epidemia en España. El presente artículo revela los resultados derivados de la actuación de las farmacias de doce comunidades autónomas, que participaron de una forma u otra en dichas iniciativas mediante la realización o supervisión de un total de 1.043.800 pruebas, a partir de las cuales se detectaron 109.570 casos positivos (un 10,5% del total), que fueron comunicados al Sistema Nacional de Salud. Los resultados son provisionales, pues muchos de los programas continúan vigentes, pero son una muestra inequívoca del potencial que las farmacias comunitarias pueden desempeñar en tareas de Salud Pública.(AU)

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 infection was an unprecedented pandemic with unprecedented global health and socio-economic impact. More than 13 million cases had been confirmed in Spain by August 2022, and diagnostic testing to detect cases of infection in the country has helped to partially mitigate the spread of the virus. In 2021, the first self-testing antigen tests were marketed for dispensing in community pharmacies, and over-the-counter dispensing was allowed from July of that year. The network of communitypharmacies played a key role, not only in the informed dispensing of these tests, but also in actively participating in the performance, supervision and reporting of results to the health authorities, and even in the issuing of digital certificates. A compilation has been made of all the available data on the subject, with a deadline of 13 February 2022, which is considered to be the end of the sixth wave of the epidemic in Spain. The results of the action taken by community pharmacies in twelve Autonomous Communities, which somehow participated in these initiatives by carrying out or supervising a total of 1,043,800 tests, from which 109,570 positive cases (10.5% of the total) were detected and reported to the National Health System, are presented in this article. Although the results are provisional, because many of the programmes are still ongoing, they are a clear demonstration of the potential that community pharmacies can play in Public Health work.(AU)

Cost-Utility Analysis of a Medication Adherence Management Service Alongside a Cluster Randomized Control Trial in Community Pharmacy.

BACKGROUND: It is necessary to determine the cost utility of adherence interventions in chronic diseases due to humanistic and economic burden of non-adherence. PURPOSE: To evaluate, alongside a cluster-randomized controlled trial, the cost-utility of a pharmacist-led medication adherence management service (MAMS) compared with usual care in community pharmacies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The trial was conducted over six months. Patients with treatments for hypertension, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were included. Patients in the intervention group (IG) received a MAMS based on a brief complex intervention, whilst patients in the control group (CG) received usual care. The cost-utility analysis adopted a health system perspective. Costs related to medications, healthcare resources and adherence intervention were included. The effectiveness was estimated as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), using a multiple imputation missing data model. The incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) was calculated on the total sample of patients. RESULTS: A total of 1186 patients were enrolled (IG: 633; CG: 553). The total intervention cost was estimated to be €27.33 ± 0.43 per patient for six months. There was no statistically significant difference in total cost of medications and healthcare resources per patient between IG and CG. The values of EQ-5D-5L at 6 months were significantly higher in the IG [IG: 0.881 ± 0.005 vs CG: 0.833 ± 0.006; p = 0.000]. In the base case, the service was more expensive and more effective than usual care, resulting in an ICUR of €1,494.82/QALY. In the complete case, the service resulted in an ICUR of €2,086.30/QALY, positioned between the north-east and south-east quadrants of the cost-utility plane. Using a threshold value of €20,000/QALY gained, there is a 99% probability that the intervention is cost-effective. CONCLUSION: The medication adherence management service resulted in an improvement in the quality of life of the population with chronic disease, with similar costs compared to usual care. The service is cost-effective.