Community pharmacists play role in providing preventive care

(HealthDay)—Community pharmacists are well suited to provide clinical preventive services, including education, screenings, and making referrals, according to a report published in the Oct. 27 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease.

Sarah E. Kelling, Pharm.D., M.P.H., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review and a review of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations rated A or B to document examples of the community pharmacist's role in providing clinical preventive services to the general population.

The researchers note that there are several clinical preventive services that can be offered by community pharmacists. They focused on specific services: providing education, conducting screenings, and making referrals to improve population health. Interventions can be beneficial in aspects of care, including folic acid education, tobacco use cessation, and osteoporosis and HIV screening.

"As part of interdisciplinary teams and clinical-community links, community pharmacists can improve population health through provision of clinical preventive services," the authors write.