Pharmacists key for kidneys
January 19, 2016
PHARMACISTS who screened
at-risk patients for chronic kidney
disease (CKD) discovered previously
unrecognised disease in more than
15% of patients tested, according to
a study published this month in the
Canadian Pharmacists Journal.
The research is claimed to be
one of the first studies to provide
“concrete evidence of the benefits
of allowing community pharmacists
to order laboratory tests and see
patients’ test results,” according to
author Yazid Al Hamarneh.
720 patients were enrolled
in the study, which tested an
online decision-making tool
called the “CKD Pathway” to
help primary care providers to
decide which patients to test and
give appropriate lifestyle advice,
medication or referral.
55 community pharmacies across
the province of Alberta took part
in the project, identifying patients
at risk of CKD based on recent
prescriptions and lab test results.
Those with high risk factors were
sent for blood and urine tests for
kidney function, unless they had
been tested in the previous year.
Of the 720 patients screened, 39%
had CKD, and of those a whopping
40% had no record or knowledge of
a previous CKD diagnosis.
Pharmacists were able to play a
role in the detection because in
Alberta they have been able to
order, interpret and view laboratory
tests since 2012, with the CKD
trial said to have “important
implications for chronic disease
prevention and management”.
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