Abstract：
BACKGROUND: Late-life depression (LLD) often goes underdiagnosed and undertreated. Community pharmacists are one of the most accessible and trusted healthcare professionals (HCPs) and may play a significant role in LLD screening.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop and pilot a pharmacist-delivered depression screening and referral service for older adults (≥65 years) at risk of depression, within community pharmacy.
METHODS: Community pharmacists across New South Wales, Australia, were recruited to participate in a prospective pilot study. Pharmacists/pharmacy staff received specialised training before recruiting and screening patients aged ≥65 years using the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15). Patients scoring ≥6 were referred to another HCP, e.g., general practitioner, and followed-up by the pharmacist one-week post-screening. Patients were also followed-up by a research team member 6-weeks post-screening to explore outcomes of the screening. Semi-structured interviews with pharmacists and patients were undertaken following completion of the pilot study to explore their experiences delivering/receiving the screening service. A thematic inductive analysis approach was used to analyse interview data.
RESULTS: A total of 39 community pharmacies participated in this study. In total, 113 participants attended the training sessions. Pharmacists screened 15 patients from 8 pharmacies, of which 67% were female. Two thirds of patients (67%) received a GDS-15 score of ≥6, indicating possible depression and requiring referral. Pharmacists referred 80% of patients to another HCP. One patient was diagnosed with depression and commenced antidepressant therapy. Five patients and six pharmacists participated in semi-structured interviews. Barriers to screening included lack of time and mental illness stigma. Facilitators included pharmacist-patient relationships and training.
CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacist-delivered LLD screening was found to be acceptable by both pharmacists and patients, with pharmacists reporting training improved their comfort and confidence with depression screening. These pilot study findings may inform future work into service delivery models to support early identification and treatment of LLD.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop and pilot a pharmacist-delivered depression screening and referral service for older adults (≥65 years) at risk of depression, within community pharmacy.
METHODS: Community pharmacists across New South Wales, Australia, were recruited to participate in a prospective pilot study. Pharmacists/pharmacy staff received specialised training before recruiting and screening patients aged ≥65 years using the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15). Patients scoring ≥6 were referred to another HCP, e.g., general practitioner, and followed-up by the pharmacist one-week post-screening. Patients were also followed-up by a research team member 6-weeks post-screening to explore outcomes of the screening. Semi-structured interviews with pharmacists and patients were undertaken following completion of the pilot study to explore their experiences delivering/receiving the screening service. A thematic inductive analysis approach was used to analyse interview data.
RESULTS: A total of 39 community pharmacies participated in this study. In total, 113 participants attended the training sessions. Pharmacists screened 15 patients from 8 pharmacies, of which 67% were female. Two thirds of patients (67%) received a GDS-15 score of ≥6, indicating possible depression and requiring referral. Pharmacists referred 80% of patients to another HCP. One patient was diagnosed with depression and commenced antidepressant therapy. Five patients and six pharmacists participated in semi-structured interviews. Barriers to screening included lack of time and mental illness stigma. Facilitators included pharmacist-patient relationships and training.
CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacist-delivered LLD screening was found to be acceptable by both pharmacists and patients, with pharmacists reporting training improved their comfort and confidence with depression screening. These pilot study findings may inform future work into service delivery models to support early identification and treatment of LLD.
摘要：
背景：晚年抑郁症（LLD）通常未被诊断和治疗不足。社区药剂师是最容易获得和最值得信赖的医疗保健专业人员（HCP）之一，并且可能在LLD筛查中发挥重要作用。
目的：本研究旨在为有抑郁症风险的老年人（≥65岁）开发和试点由药剂师提供的抑郁症筛查和转诊服务。在社区药房。
方法：新南威尔士州的社区药剂师，澳大利亚,被招募参加一项前瞻性试点研究。药剂师/药房工作人员在招募和使用老年抑郁量表15（GDS-15）筛查年龄≥65岁的患者之前接受了专门培训。评分≥6的患者转诊至另一个HCP，例如，全科医生,筛查后一周由药剂师随访。筛查后6周，研究小组成员还对患者进行了随访，以探索筛查的结果。在完成试点研究后，对药剂师和患者进行了半结构化访谈，以探索他们提供/接受筛查服务的经验。采用主题归纳分析方法对访谈数据进行分析。
结果：共有39家社区药房参与了这项研究。总的来说,113名学员参加了培训。药剂师从8家药店筛选出15名患者,其中67%是女性。三分之二的患者（67%）接受了≥6的GDS-15评分，表明可能存在抑郁，需要转诊。药剂师将80％的患者转诊给另一个HCP。一名患者被诊断为抑郁症并开始抗抑郁治疗。五名患者和六名药剂师参加了半结构化访谈。筛查的障碍包括缺乏时间和精神疾病的污名。促进者包括药剂师与患者的关系和培训。
结论：药剂师提供的LLD筛查被药剂师和患者所接受，药剂师报告培训提高了他们对抑郁症筛查的舒适度和信心。这些试点研究结果可能会为未来的工作提供服务提供模型，以支持LLD的早期识别和治疗。
目的：本研究旨在为有抑郁症风险的老年人（≥65岁）开发和试点由药剂师提供的抑郁症筛查和转诊服务。在社区药房。
方法：新南威尔士州的社区药剂师，澳大利亚,被招募参加一项前瞻性试点研究。药剂师/药房工作人员在招募和使用老年抑郁量表15（GDS-15）筛查年龄≥65岁的患者之前接受了专门培训。评分≥6的患者转诊至另一个HCP，例如，全科医生,筛查后一周由药剂师随访。筛查后6周，研究小组成员还对患者进行了随访，以探索筛查的结果。在完成试点研究后，对药剂师和患者进行了半结构化访谈，以探索他们提供/接受筛查服务的经验。采用主题归纳分析方法对访谈数据进行分析。
结果：共有39家社区药房参与了这项研究。总的来说,113名学员参加了培训。药剂师从8家药店筛选出15名患者,其中67%是女性。三分之二的患者（67%）接受了≥6的GDS-15评分，表明可能存在抑郁，需要转诊。药剂师将80％的患者转诊给另一个HCP。一名患者被诊断为抑郁症并开始抗抑郁治疗。五名患者和六名药剂师参加了半结构化访谈。筛查的障碍包括缺乏时间和精神疾病的污名。促进者包括药剂师与患者的关系和培训。
结论：药剂师提供的LLD筛查被药剂师和患者所接受，药剂师报告培训提高了他们对抑郁症筛查的舒适度和信心。这些试点研究结果可能会为未来的工作提供服务提供模型，以支持LLD的早期识别和治疗。
