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The role of community pharmacists in supporting self-management in patients with psoriasis.

Tucker, Rod; Stewart, Derek

Authors

Rod Tucker

Derek Stewart



Abstract

Background: The majority of patients with psoriasis have mild to moderate disease which can be managed in primary care with topical therapies. The supportive role of pharmacists for patients with long-term dermatological conditions is largely unknown. Objective: To assess the impact of an educational intervention delivered by community pharmacists to improve self-management for people with psoriasis. Method: The study involved a pre- and post-intervention design. Seven community pharmacies were selected based on their location (urban, rural etc.) and the pharmacists recruited via local comprehensive research networks. Patients with mild to moderate psoriasis were recruited either opportunistically or via a letter of invite by pharmacists who undertook a face-to-face consultation with one follow-up visit after 6 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in person-centred dermatology self-care index (PEDESI) score and secondary outcomes were the self-assessed psoriasis and severity index (SAPASI), measuring disease severity and the dermatology quality of life index (DLQI). Key findings: A total of 47 patients were recruited. At 6 weeks, 42/47 (89.3%) patients completed the follow-up consultation. There was a significant increase in mean PEDESI scores (25.15 versus 17.78, P < 0.001) at 6 weeks compared to baseline. Similarly, SAPASI (11.60 versus 7.74, P < 0.001) and DLQI (7.21 versus 4.14, P < 0.001) scores improved significantly. Conclusion: Pharmacist-assisted support for patients with psoriasis improved knowledge, reduced disease severity and the impact on quality of life. These results suggest that community pharmacists might have an important role to play in facilitating self-management for patients with psoriasis.

Citation

TUCKER, R. and STEWART, D. 2017. The role of community pharmacists in supporting self-management in patients with psoriasis. International journal of pharmacy practice [online], 25(2), pages 140-146. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpp.12298

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jul 12, 2016
Online Publication Date Aug 4, 2016
Publication Date Mar 8, 2017
Deposit Date Sep 9, 2016
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal International journal of pharmacy practice
Print ISSN 0961-7671
Electronic ISSN 2042-7174
Publisher Oxford University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 25
Issue 2
Pages 140-146
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpp.12298
Keywords Clinical interventions; Clinical practice; Clinical topics; Community pharmacy
Public URL http://hdl.handle.net/10059/1630

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