Community pharmacy: Going beyond dispensing pharmaceuticals

The aim of this study is to understand if it is possible to predict health crisis based on biochemical and physiological measurements made at the pharmacy, and, if needed, refer patients to the doctor. This would avoid emergency services and increase pharmacies’ income. Three pharmaceutical consultations were made, where these parameters were measured and the therapeutics registered. The short duration of the study (three months) and the small sample (57 patients) did not allow to reach clear conclusions, as patients had little variation in their health. It was also addressed the issue of how important these consultations are for patients and results were positive: they considered consultations important and helpful and the majority of patients were willing to pay €5 or less for them