ORAL hygiene advice and dental pain enquiries are being fielded by pharmacists in rural parts of Victoria lacking qualified dental practitioners, research from La Trobe University has found.
The study, published in The Australian Journal of Rural Health, called for targeted efforts to expand the scope of pharmacists' work in rural areas and to gauge the perceptions of the oral hygiene advice being provided.
Featuring 11 participating pharmacists, the study recommended the implementation of targeted training to deliver oral advice safely and effectively, and collaboration with nearby dental practitioners.
One pharmacist said the reason they provide dental advice is because there is "nothing in town other than us", with the nearest dental clinic more than a 20-minute drive away.
Pharmacists reported offering dental advice up to three times per week, mostly in response to spontaneous customer concerns and prescription presentation.
Advice generally given included encouraging twice-daily brushing with fluoridated toothpaste, using fluoridated mouthwash, quitting smoking, and dietary assistance.
La Trobe University Rural Health School Pharmacy Discipline Lead, Professor Joseph Tucci, said while many pharmacists were happy to help, time and staffing limitations prevented their ability to render more in-depth care.
"In regions where dentists are absent, pharmacists are often the first and only line of healthcare," Professor Tucci said.
"With structured support, they can play a more confident and collaborative role in preventing and addressing oral health issues."
Pharmacists surveyed reported a lack of confidence in conducting anything beyond a basic oral examination due to a lack of adequate equipment, private treating rooms and formal training.
"There's a need for it because dentists are a long way away but, being a small country pharmacy, we don't have the staff to allocate time," one respondent said.
The study concluded that rural pharmacists were eager to undertake enhanced training for professional development and to expand their scope to more adequately cater to dental queries.
Dentistry and Oral Health Discipline Lead Professor Santosh Tadakamadla said there is room for growth within the scope of a rural operating pharmacist to include oral health training, especially as advice being given was perceived as being reactive, not proactive.
"If pharmacists were more proactive in these discussions, some oral health conditions could be largely preventable," he said. ML
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