The value of pharmacist involvement in a point-of-care service, walk-in lipid screening program

The leading cause of death in the United States is heart disease. Because an elevated serum cholesterol level is an independent risk factor for development of coronary heart disease (CHD), individuals older than 20 years of age are advised to have their cholesterol level checked every 5 years. Walk-in screening programs are becoming popular as a method of health care delivery. The program at the University of California-Irvine Medical Center administers point-of-care, low-cost lipid profile testing, directly involves patients in their own care, and provides individualized education to patients regarding cardiovascular risk reduction. A total of 301 patients participated in the program between August 1998 and September 2000. Fifty percent of them (150 patients) required intervention; 34% of these (52 patients) were previously undiagnosed. Their mean age was 57 +/- 13 years; 35% were women, 53% had two or more cardiac risk factors, and 5% had CHD. Based on the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines, 29% had low-density lipoprotein levels above target, 23% had triglyceride levels higher than recommended, and 21% had high-density lipoprotein levels below target. It is our hope that our successful experience with the program will encourage pharmacists to develop similar programs.