Pharmacies were shown to be an effective alternative to a regular medical exam in testing people for heart-risk conditions such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and cholesterol according to a recent study published in the journal Open Heart.
The experimental, pharmacy-based approach included a broad population sample, which helped to identify patients with previously undiagnosed heart-risk conditions. During the study, 30 percent of participants were found to have a heart-risk condition, which prompted pharmacists to recommend a physician consultation to nearly half of them, according to the study.
Significantly, the study also found that younger age groups were underdiagnosed with heart-risk conditions. The study concluded that pharmacies might be a more viable option for younger age groups, who, the study said, favor “the convenience and accessibility” of pharmacy-based services.
