Descriptive analysis of pharmacy services provided after community pharmacy screening

Background Community pharmacies are promising locations for opportunistic screening due to pharmacist accessibility and ability to perform various health and medication management services. Little is known as to the provision of pharmacy services following screening initiatives. Objective To describe provision of pharmacy services for participants following a community pharmacy stroke screening initiative. Setting The Program for the Identification of “Actionable Atrial” Fibrillation Pharmacy initiative took place in 30 pharmacies in Alberta and Ontario, Canada. 1149 participants ≥ 65 were screened for atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. Method Retrospective, secondary analysis of data using participant case-report forms, pharmacy data, and pharmacy claims to describe pharmacy services received by participants post-screening. Main Outcome Measure Number and types of remunerated pharmacy services received by participants post-screening. Results A total of 535/1149 (46.6%) participants screened at their regular pharmacy were included in this analysis. Of these, 165 (30.8%) participants received 229 pharmacy services within 3 months post-screening, including 146 medication reviews, 57 influenza vaccinations, and 21 pharmaceutical opinions. A median (interquartile range, IQR) of 6 (2–11) pharmacy services were delivered, and median (IQR) reimbursement was $187.50 ($67.50–$342.50). Conclusions Approximately one-third of participants received a pharmacy service within 3 months post-screening. Relatively large numbers of annual and follow-up medication reviews were delivered despite low eligibility for annual-only reviews and despite many missed opportunities for pharmacy service provision in at-risk patients. In-pharmacy screening may facilitate provision of some services, namely medication reviews, by providing opportunities to identify patients at-risk.