Atención farmacéutica en la bibliografía nacional e internacional Translated title: Pharmaceutical Care in National and International Bibliography

Background Previous non-clinical traditional role of pharmacy technicians (PTs) has evolved considerably. Therefore, adequate understanding of PTs' practice of pharmaceutical care (PC) services is essential for appropriate skill mix in provision of services. Objectives The objectives of the study were to: (1) assess PTs' sources of information and practice of pharmaceutical care, and (2) assess differences in patient-centered care practices between PTs in hospital and community pharmacy settings. Methods Cross-sectional survey was conducted among 100 pharmacy technicians using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS version 24.0, and involvement in pharmaceutical care practices was assessed on a 3-point Likert scale. P < 0.05 was significant. Results A total of 73 (73.0%) PTs participated in the study and 44 (60.3%) practiced in hospitals. Almost all 70 (95.9%) had previously heard of PC. Sources of information was associated with place of practice ( p = 0.001), highest degree ( p = 0.003) and age ( p = 0.000). Only a quarter 21 (28.8%) indicated it was patient-centered. The majority often assisted in dispensing/counselling 62 (84.9%). Over half often provided responsible advice on over-the-counter medicines 50 (68.5%), assisted in managing patients' medication information 49 (67.1%), initiated pharmaceutical care 43 (58.9%) and answered questions on side effects/interactions of medicines 40 (54.8%), respectively. The least often performed task was discussing possible change in therapy 21(34.2%). Significant differences were found between hospital PTs and community PTs in the frequency of intake of patients/clients for PC ( p = 0.026) and assisting in dispensing/counselling ( p = 0.018). Conclusions Various sources of information was observed and this was associated with selected socio-demographics. Several PC activities were often undertaken by PTs, and some differences in practice of these activities was seen between the practice areas.

Introduction Vitamin D is an essential micronutrient that participates in the body's fundamental physiological processes. The pharmacist should involve the patient in his medication adherence, leading to a change in the patient's attitude towards his medication and towards his health problem, in order to achieve the pharmacological objective set. Methods Quasi-experimental multicenter study design with non-probabilistic convenience sampling. A pharmacist-led intervention in health education was carried out, divided in two groups, face-to-face interview and on-line survey, and the results were evaluated 3 months later to observe if there was any change in the patient's health status or in their vitamin D levels. Results The study was conducted in four pharmacies through face-to-face interviews (n = 49 patients) and online surveys (n = 23). Pharmaceutical intervention improved habits of exercise (0.81 ± 1.44 days/week face-to-face interviews vs −0.09 ± 2.35 days/week online surveys (p = 0.048)). In face-to-face interviews, consumption of vitamin D-rich foods was increased (0.55 unit of tuna/week; p = 0.035 and 0.56 unit of avocado/week; p = 0.001) and was improved correct intake of vitamin D supplements (32.5% baseline to 69.8% at 3 months). The increase in 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (11.5 ng/mL after 3 months (p = 0.021)) was correlated to salmon consumption (0.951; p = 0.013) and the improvement of quality of life was correlated to avocado consumption (1; p < 0.001). Conclusion There are habits that improve vitamin D production such as increased physical activity, the correct use of vitamin D supplements and the consumption of foods with high vitamin D levels. The role of the pharmacist is crucial, involving the patient in the treatment making aware of the benefits for his/her health status of increasing vitamin D levels.