Pharmacist-initiated peripheral arterial disease screening program in a community pharmacy setting.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of implementing a pharmacist-initiated peripheral arterial disease (PAD) screening program in the community setting and to determine the ability of this screening to increase the number of patients identified with PAD. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Three locations of a large pharmacy grocery chain in the Cincinnati and Dayton, OH, area, from February 3, 2009, to May 31, 2009. PATIENTS: 39 patients 50 years or older with a diagnosis of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and/or diabetes. INTERVENTION: PAD screening, including an assessment of PAD symptoms and an ankle-brachial index (ABI) calculation using a handheld Doppler. Patients who screened positive were provided with appropriate counseling on possible treatments, medications, and lifestyle modifications and referred to their primary care physician for further evaluation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Successful implementation of program, number of patients referred to their physician for follow-up, and number of patients with ABI scores indicating PAD. RESULTS: 17 of the 39 patients screened (44%) were referred to their physician for follow-up because they had ABI scores indicating PAD, symptoms indicating PAD, or noncompressible vessels. Using ABI scores, PAD was detected in nine patients (23.1%). Pharmacists implemented the program successfully. CONCLUSION: This study successfully demonstrated the feasibility of implementing a pharmacist-initiated PAD screening program in the community setting. The implementation of this screening program included the acquisition of affordable equipment, training of pharmacists, and access to the appropriate patient population. This study also was effective in increasing the recognition of PAD in patients screened in the community setting.