Men's health initiative risk assessment study: effect of community pharmacy-based screening

To determine whether community pharmacists using a risk assessment tool could encourage men who were overdue for a physical examination to visit a physician and to calculate the return on investment from the pharmacy perspective for offering a complimentary risk assessment service.

12-week, prospective cohort study using convenience sampling among men who visited participating pharmacies.

Cross-section of community pharmacies.

382 men aged 25-74 years with potential health risks that were untreated or uncontrolled, or who had not had a physical examination within the past year.

Screening for specific health risks with or without telephone follow-up.

Overall male patient response to pharmacist recommendations for follow-up medical care.

Of 382 men identified by the Men's Health Risk Assessment Tool (MHRAT) as being at risk for 1,194 significant health conditions (mean, 3.1 conditions per patient), 69% had not received a physical examination from a physician for a period ranging from more than 1 year to 22.6 years. Of men who were recommended to make an appointment, 64% were seen by a physician or were waiting on a scheduled appointment at the end of the study. No differences were seen between the telephone intervention group and the control group in rates of obtaining a physician examination.

A positive public health initiative involving community pharmacists was demonstrated in this study. Community pharmacists had a significant impact on motivating men to see a physician for follow-up care once a potential health risk was identified. The MHRAT and the pharmacist recommendation or patient education were the motivating factors and not follow-up telephone interventions by the pharmacist. Given community pharmacists' unique accessibility, an enormous opportunity exists for community pharmacists to raise awareness of men's health care and influence men's health behavior.