Pharmacists as Key Contributors to Preventive Medicine: A Study on Immunization, Screening, and Medication Adherence in Public Health

Original Article

Abstract

Background

Preventive medicine is vital in enhancing the health of the population and it saves healthcare expenses. Pharmacists are usually not part of preventive care programs despite their accessibility to the greatest number of people. They can greatly contribute to the health outcomes of the population, especially in resource-constrained environments, through participation in such services as immunization, screening, and medication adherence counseling.

Objectives

To investigate the role of pharmacists in preventive healthcare, namely, immunization, screening, and medication adherence, and emphasize the challenges to their inclusion in national health programs.

Methodology

This research applied the descriptive method to determine the participation of the pharmacists in preventive care. The information was gathered based on the surveys and interviews with the pharmacists in the community and hospital pharmacies. Their involvement in immunization programs, screening of chronic diseases, and medication adherence counseling was studied. The statistical analysis was conducted with the help of mean age, standard deviation, and p-value with the purpose to comprehend the relevance of these interventions in enhancing health outcomes.

Results

120 participants was used in the study with an average age of participants being 37.5 years (SD = 8.3). Findings showed that 45 percent of respondents pursued immunization services actively with 62 percent of the respondents having preventive screenings of diabetes and hypertension. There was also a strong positive relationship between early disease detection and pharmacist-led screening (p = 0.03). The treatment compliance was enhanced by 40 as a result of medication adherence counseling with p-value of 0.02. These results demonstrate the success of preventive services led by a pharmacist to improve health outcomes and prevent the primary care gaps.

Conclusion

The role of pharmacists in preventive healthcare especially in immunization, screening, and drug adherence plays a major role in enhancing the health outcomes of the population. This notwithstanding, structural and policy barriers undermine their formal healthcare system integration. The role of pharmacists in preventing medicine can be expanded, which will reduce the costs of healthcare, enhance the detection of the disease and adherence to it earlier. The policy changes are essential in ensuring that pharmacists are fully exploited as the frontiers in the preventive healthcare programs.