Pharmacists in arthritis care
August 29, 2012
PHARMACISTS could play a key role
in identifying knee osteoarthritis,
according to new research.
Published in Arthritis Care &
Research, the study investigated a
multidiciplined intervention that
involved pharmacists in the
identification and patient care for
those with knee osteoarthritis- an
arthritic condition which develops
gradually over a period of years.
Knee osteoarthritis is one of the
most common forms of arthritis and
is characterised by a deterioration
of the cartilage, with symptoms
including pain, limited range of
motion and localised swelling.
"Many cases of knee OA go
undiagnosed and patients often do
not receive timely care to relieve
pain, improve function and prevent
disability," said lead author Dr Carlo
Marra, Professor of Pharmaceutical
Sciences at the University of British
Columbia in Vancouver.
During the study, researchers
recruited 14 pharmacies to provide
intervention therapy for knee
osteoarthritis, including identifying
and enrolling patients aged 50
years or over into the study who
were suffering ongoing knee pain
or stiffness, had difficulty with
activities due to knee pain, had a
BMI greater than 25 kg/m2, and
had not exercised in six months.
73 patients were enrolled in the
program which saw pharmacists
provide knee osteoarthritis
screening questionnaires,
education, pain medication
management, and physical therapy
exercises.
The pharmacist overseeing the
treatment also engaged in dialogue
with the patients’ doctors.
In addition to this group, the
study also enlisted 18 pharmacies
to act as a control group, where 66
patients who were identified as
having knee osteoarthritis were
given an information pamphlet.
The results of the study found
that patients in the pharmacist
intervention group had a
significantly higher quality of knee
osteoarthritis care compared to
those in the control group.
Pharmacist intervention patients
also reported significant
improvements to their overall pain
levels at three and six months.
"Our findings suggest that
pharmacists can effectively initiate
interventions that address the gaps
in OA patient care,” said Marra.
“With the rise in OA,
collaborative care presents a novel
approach in prevention and treating those with knee OA,"
Marra added.
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