Exploring oral healthcare management across Australian community pharmacies using case vignettes

In Australia, more than 80% of pharmacists and pharmacy assistants are consulted for oral healthcare advice up to five times or more each week. This study assesses Australian community pharmacy staff's (pharmacists and pharmacy assistants) ability to recognize and manage common oral health presentations using case vignettes, and determine whether appropriate identification and management are associated with self-reported confidence.

Five oral healthcare case vignettes were developed based on previous literature by a multidisciplinary team of dental and pharmacy practitioner academics. Topics included pulpitis, gingivitis, oral hygiene advice for a toddler, a mouth ulcer and a dry mouth scenario. Pharmacies were randomly selected from each Australian State and Territory and community pharmacy staff invited to complete the case vignettes.

A total of 312 and 932 case vignettes were completed by pharmacy assistants and pharmacists, respectively. Approximately one-third of staff appropriately identified a non-healing mouth ulcer and up to 16% recognized a pulpitis (inflamed dental pulp) presentation. Provision of best practice or evidence-based recommendations were reported in up to 28%, 19%, 57% and 31% of pharmacy staff offering appropriate advice and guidance for pulpitis, gingivitis, a non-healing mouth ulcer and oral health promotion messages, respectively. No participants provided all best practice recommendations for drug-induced xerostomia. In all five vignettes, confidence was not associated with best practice recommendations and was only modestly associated with improved rates for recognizing gingivitis symptoms.

To allow community pharmacists and assistants to fulfil their role as important members of the oral healthcare team, additional training and support are required to facilitate improved recognition of common oral health presentations and to offer recommendations which are in line with current best practice guidelines.