TY - JOUR
T1 - Community pharmacists-led interventions in tuberculosis care
T2 - A systematic review
AU - Wong, Yen Jun
AU - Ng, Khuen Yen
AU - Lee, Shaun Wen Huey
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2023/1
Y1 - 2023/1
N2 - Background: A multidisciplinary approach is required to tackle the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic, which is one of the most pressing public health concerns worldwide. However, community pharmacists are underutilized in TB programs. Objective: To identify community pharmacists-led interventions in TB management with their corresponding impacts in TB case detection and treatment outcomes. Methods: A systematic search was performed in six electronic databases and health organization websites, from database inception to August 2, 2022. Studies which described TB screening, referral and/or treatment monitoring by community pharmacists with their corresponding outcomes were screened and reviewed independently by two reviewers. The studies were checked for the risk of bias using Cochrane risk of bias tools. All data of included studies were analysed qualitatively and presented narratively. Results: The search yielded 8,121 studies and five reports for initial screening. Sixteen studies and two case study reports were included in this review. Community pharmacists were involved throughout the TB care cascade, contributing their services in TB screening, referrals and in directly observed treatment-short course (DOTS) program. These interventions showed improvements in the effective control and prevention of further spread of TB, which improves individual, community and population level outcomes. Conclusions: The inclusion of community pharmacists into TB program can improve the continuity of care, bridging the gaps in TB case detection and treatment monitoring. Adequate training and support are essential, to further empower the role of community pharmacists in TB control and prevention, in building a TB-free world.
AB - Background: A multidisciplinary approach is required to tackle the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic, which is one of the most pressing public health concerns worldwide. However, community pharmacists are underutilized in TB programs. Objective: To identify community pharmacists-led interventions in TB management with their corresponding impacts in TB case detection and treatment outcomes. Methods: A systematic search was performed in six electronic databases and health organization websites, from database inception to August 2, 2022. Studies which described TB screening, referral and/or treatment monitoring by community pharmacists with their corresponding outcomes were screened and reviewed independently by two reviewers. The studies were checked for the risk of bias using Cochrane risk of bias tools. All data of included studies were analysed qualitatively and presented narratively. Results: The search yielded 8,121 studies and five reports for initial screening. Sixteen studies and two case study reports were included in this review. Community pharmacists were involved throughout the TB care cascade, contributing their services in TB screening, referrals and in directly observed treatment-short course (DOTS) program. These interventions showed improvements in the effective control and prevention of further spread of TB, which improves individual, community and population level outcomes. Conclusions: The inclusion of community pharmacists into TB program can improve the continuity of care, bridging the gaps in TB case detection and treatment monitoring. Adequate training and support are essential, to further empower the role of community pharmacists in TB control and prevention, in building a TB-free world.
KW - Community pharmacists
KW - Directly observed treatment
KW - Referral
KW - Screening
KW - Systematic review
KW - Tuberculosis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85137639601&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.sapharm.2022.09.001
DO - 10.1016/j.sapharm.2022.09.001
M3 - Review Article
C2 - 36096865
AN - SCOPUS:85137639601
SN - 1551-7411
VL - 19
SP - 5
EP - 15
JO - Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy
JF - Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy
IS - 1
ER -