Role of community pharmacists in cardiovascular diseases-related health promotion and dyslipidemia management in Malaysia: A nationwide cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, imposing a significant burden on patients and healthcare systems. The role of pharmacists in reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) is pivotal as they play an essential part in the healthcare team, particularly in medication management and patient education. Pharmacists are well-positioned to contribute to the prevention and control of CVD through various roles, including medication management and patient education. This study aims to investigate the current involvement of community pharmacists in Malaysia, specifically in cardiovascular diseases-related health promotion activities and dyslipidemia management, including their perceived barriers. METHOD: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among community pharmacists in all 14 states of Malaysia between November 2021 and July 2022. The self-administered survey was shared to relevant groups through various social media platforms. RESULTS: A total of 312 community pharmacists were involved in the survey. Majority of the respondents were females (66%), with a mean age (SD) of 32.9 (8.4) years. Most of the respondents showed satisfactory practice for patient counselling, but improvements are needed particularly in risk assessment and collaborative care aspect. Most of them expressed their interest for dyslipidemia management training (89.4%). Lack of access to medical records (71.2%) and lack of CVD-related educational materials (70.8%) were the two main perceived barriers identified. CONCLUSION: Community pharmacists in Malaysia provide a satisfactory role in the provision of cardiovascular disease-related health promotion activities, especially in providing patient counselling. Strengthening collaborative care is essential for providing comprehensive and patient-centered intervention in dyslipidemia management. This requires ongoing efforts to address and overcome existing barriers for effective teamwork and coordination among healthcare professionals.

A qualitative study exploring issues related to medication management in residential aged care facilities.

BACKGROUND: Globally, the population of older people is on the rise. As families are burdened with the high cost of care for aging members, demand is increasing for medical care and nursing homes. Thus, medication management is crucial to ensure that residents in a care center benefit and assist the management of the care center in reducing the burden of health care. This study is aimed to qualitatively explore issues related to medication management in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A total of 11 stakeholders comprising health care providers, administrators, caretakers and residents were recruited from a list of registered government, nongovernmental organization and private RACFs in Malaysia from September 2016 to April 2017. An exploratory qualitative study adhering to Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies was conducted. In-depth interview was conducted with consent of all participants, and the interviews were audio recorded for later verbatim transcription. Observational analysis was also conducted in a noninterfering manner. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Three themes, namely medication use process, personnel handling medications and culture, emerged in this study. Medication use process highlighted an unclaimed liability for residents' medication by the RACFs, whereas personnel handling medications were found to lack sufficient training in medication management. Culture of the organization did affect the medication safety and quality improvement. The empowerment of the residents in their medication management was limited. There were unclear roles and responsibility of who manages the medication in the nongovernment-funded RACFs, although they were well structured in the private nursing homes. CONCLUSION: There are important issues related to medication management in RACFs which require a need to establish policy and guidelines.