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Using community pharmacies to conduct an HSV-1 prevalence study
Joseph C Veltri1, Katharine A Geiringer, Clark Richardson
1PEGUS Research, Inc, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. joe.veltri@aros.net
Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
|September 26, 2002
Summary
Community pharmacists effectively conducted a Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) surveillance study. They successfully collected viral samples from cold sore lesions, demonstrating pharmacists
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health Surveillance
Background:
- Recurrent Herpes labialis (RHL) affects a significant population.
- Understanding Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) susceptibility to antivirals is crucial.
- Community pharmacy settings offer potential for public health research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of community-based pharmacists in a surveillance study.
- To determine the baseline prevalence of HSV-1.
- To assess HSV-1 susceptibility to antiviral medications in RHL patients.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted across 47 US community pharmacies.
- Pharmacists collected viral samples from RHL lesions.
- Samples were stored and shipped to a central laboratory for analysis.
Main Results:
- 1795 participants had viral swabs processed; 60.3% were positive for HSV-1.
- The study population was predominantly white (90.1%) and female (67.9%).
- Minor protocol deviations occurred but did not compromise study integrity.
Conclusions:
- Community pharmacists are capable of conducting large-scale surveillance studies.
- Pharmacists successfully obtained viral samples from cold sore lesions.
- The study demonstrated the feasibility of using community pharmacies for infectious disease surveillance.