Implementation of a personal health planning program and health promotion in the community pharmacies

It is well known that one of the most accessible health providers are community pharmacists; hence, their role in sanitarian programs should not be neglected. Although they were not present in the first pilot trial of the Hun-garian Health Planning Application (HHPA) made by the National Healthcare Services Center, they were involved in the latter phases of the personal health planning program. The aim was the detailed assessment of the HHPA, with regard to the newly introduced online form. The HHPA is a software designed to identify health risks and help in the health planning and management of the risks. The present study was started in the 2016/2017 aca-demic year, and the enrollment of citizens was carried out by resident pharmacists, who had received additional training on the software and primary (and tertiary) prevention. The resident pharmacists also filled two opinion survey questionnaires, one at the beginning of the study and one after the study period. Seventy-five pharmacists enrolled 594 citizens. At the 190 participants who enrolled by online application, the drop-out rate was similar to the personal way. The main four risks that were identified in the study were the risk of an inactive lifestyle (47.8%), weight problems (38.7%), risk of diabetes mellitus (26.9%), and cardiovascular risks (25.3%). About the project, the majority of the pharmacists thought that it was a useful project. Highlighted supporting factors were colleges in the pharmacies that were very encouraging; however, factors such as long risk-assessment or the non-cooperation of the other healthcare providers were discouraging. The personal health planning program is a favorable initiative for identifying health risks and determining health plans. Furthermore, the used software seems to be same effective as personal way, but more suitable in the present pandemic situation.

Automated summary

Community pharmacists play an important role in healthcare planning, and the Hungarian Health Planning Application (HHPA) has been evaluated as a useful tool for identifying health risks. Resident pharmacists were involved in citizen enrollment and found the project beneficial. The main risks identified include sedentary lifestyle, weight problems, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular risks.