Impact of pharmacist-led educational services in promoting breast cancer awareness

Breast cancer is rapidly increasing worldwide. Pakistan has a high incidence rate of one in every nine women. The lack of awareness is the major reason for delayed diagnosis, thus resulting in high mortality. This study aimed to assess the impact of pharmacist-led breast cancer education at community pharmacies on promoting breast cancer awareness.

A longitudinal pre-post intervention study was conducted on 319 participants using a self-designed questionnaire. During the pre-intervention phase, data were collected from participants at various community pharmacies employing questionnaire administration. The provision of a breast cancer educational session followed the session. After three months, the participants were contacted via telephone, and the questionnaires were filled in again during the post-intervention phase. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25.

The pre-post phase data evaluation reported improved breast cancer awareness among the study participants, with a significant increase (p = 0.000) in awareness of breast cancer symptoms, risk factors, and diagnostic techniques. There was a statistical increase in breast self-examination practice during the post-intervention phase (2.5% to 93.8%). Knowledge about clinical breast examination improved from 8.5% (pre-intervention phase) to 84.4% (post-intervention phase). Additionally, understanding mammography as a vital screening technique improved significantly, with approximately 34.7% of eligible women having undergone mammography in the post-intervention phase.

A notable improvement in breast cancer awareness and self-examination was observed through pharmacist-led education. Leveraging pharmacist-led services in community pharmacies could effectively contribute to breast cancer control efforts. Utilizing pharmacists nationwide could facilitate the implementation of comprehensive strategies to elevate public breast cancer awareness nationally.