Feasibility of Pharmacy-based Research Opportunity to Enhance Community Testing and Surveillance (PROTECTS).

BACKGROUND: Approximately 89% of the US population lives within five miles of a community pharmacy, which provides a network of geographically distributed recruitment nodes for testing and surveillance of infection and disease. OBJECTIVES: Establish feasibility of Pharmacy-based Research Opportunities To Enhance Community Testing and Surveillance (PROTECTS) in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a community pharmacy setting with University of Kentucky serving as the coordinating center and research hub for sample analysis. METHODS: Two community pharmacies in Kentucky served as community-based recruitment sites to assess SARS-CoV-2 exposure through longitudinal (5 visits over 56 days) collection of nasal swabs and blood samples from subjects. RESULTS: Fifty subjects were recruited between May 2022 and December 2023 for longitudinal sample collection. Three phases of recruitment were investigated by first establishing standard operating procedures in an urban pharmacy, then expanding recruitment at a second pharmacy in a rural setting, and finally increasing recruitment at the urban pharmacy. During the first phase of recruitment, 12 participants were recruited. Of these participants, two never scheduled a visit after the initial screening. The median time for study completion from first to last visit within this phase was 59 days (IQR: 56-68 days). During the second phase of recruitment, eight of nine participants completed all five visits. The median time to complete all visits was 105 days (IQR: 98-112 days). During the ongoing third phase, 29 subjects were recruited, and 19 participants completed all required visits and the remainder continue to schedule follow-up appointments. CONCLUSION: Community pharmacies have a significant role in promoting public health. The geographic distribution of community pharmacies makes them appealing locations for recruitment of outpatient cohorts for local surveillance of infections and chronic inflammatory conditions with opportunities for broad implementation of this project for clinical trials in underserved communities.

Development and Implementation of an Influenza Point-Of-Care Testing Service in a Chain Community Pharmacy Setting.

Point-of-care testing is becoming increasingly commonplace in community pharmacy settings. These tests are often used in the management of chronic disease, such as blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c and lipid levels, but can also be used for acute conditions such as influenza infection and group A streptococcus pharyngitis. When used for these acute infections, point-of-care tests can allow for pharmacist-initiated treatment. In this study, an influenza point-of-care testing service was developed and implemented in a chain community pharmacy setting and a retrospective review was conducted to assess the service. Of patients tested, 29% tested positive for influenza A and/or B; 92% of patients testing positive received a prescription as a result. While health insurance cannot be billed for the service due to current pharmacy reimbursement practices, this did not appear to negatively affect patient willingness to participate. As point-of-care testing services become more commonplace in community pharmacy settings, patient awareness will similarly increase and allow for more widespread access to acute outpatient care.

Power of Prevention: The Pharmacist's Role in Prediabetes Management.

IN BRIEF Although it is known that the National Diabetes Prevention Program can significantly reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes in individuals identified as being at high risk, there remains a large number of Americans in underserved areas who are not being reached. The field of pharmacy has the potential to bridge this gap and aid the United States in more comprehensively addressing its national diabetes health crisis, thus changing the future of diabetes for the better.

The burden of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes.

Adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have a 2-to-4-fold higher risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality than adults without diabetes, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Furthermore, the AHA deems diabetes to be "1 of the 7 major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD)." Lack of glycemic control may lead to nerve and cardiac conduction impairments and CVD. However, glycemic control is not the only risk factor. Additional risk factors for CVD in T2D include hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, lack of physical activity, and smoking. Patients with T2D are also more likely to have risk factors that increase atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity. Control of these risk factors, as well as understanding the link between hyperglycemia and cardiovascular risk, is essential for the optimal management of T2D.