Identifying Opportunities for Impact of Community-Based Pharmacist-Led Biometric Health Screenings on ASCVD Risk

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Public Health
• Cardiology

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects nearly half of US adults.
• Community-based pharmacists offer accessible biometric screenings for early risk detection.
• Organizations use these screenings to identify previously undetected health risks in employees.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of community-based pharmacists on lifetime atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk.
• To assess the effectiveness of pharmacist-led biometric screenings in a large population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 10,001 employees' biometric screening data (20-79 years old) from a pharmacy chain (2015-2020).
• Inclusion criteria: at least three screenings; exclusion: incomplete records.
• ASCVD risk calculated using prescription history; education provided, but no clinical interventions.

Main Results:

• Median ASCVD risk increased from 1.5% to 1.8% (p < 0.001).
• 1,187 high-risk patients (≥7.5% ASCVD risk) showed significant improvements in blood pressure, BMI, and cholesterol.
• Pharmacist-led screenings identified and provided education on health risks.

Conclusions:

• Community pharmacists are strategically positioned for clinical intervention in ASCVD risk reduction.
• Biometric screenings led by pharmacists demonstrated improvements in key health parameters for high-risk individuals.
• Pharmacist-led screenings can support efforts to lower lifetime ASCVD risk.