Disease management in community pharmacy

Abstract

A pilot project in Malta that suggests that interventions by community pharmacists concerned with the management of hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidaemia can be effective. Disease management entails focusing on the patient throughout the entire disease process. Feedback should be provided at each stage of intervention and desired outcomes related to the patients condition and the intervention should be measured. Pharmacists expertise contributes to good chronic disease management. Pharmacists have an important role in improving disease management independently of the healthcare setting in which they practise. One of the aims of chronic disease management is to prevent morbidity and the community pharmacist is in a good position to contribute to this by monitoring and managing patients.