Determining the Role of Pharmacist in Cardiovascular Disease-Related Health Promotion and in Hypertension and Dyslipidemia Management: A Cross-Sectional Study in Lahore, Pakistan

Background: Globally, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to be the primary cause of morbidity and mortality. Conditions including dyslipidemia, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and stroke play a significant role in this regard. Community pharmacists are essential in promoting health, especially when controlling risk factors like dyslipidemia and hypertension. However, little is known about community pharmacists' involvement in these initiatives in Pakistan, especially in Lahore.

Objective: This study aimed to determine how involved community pharmacists in Lahore are in CVD-related health promotion initiatives and to analyze how they manage hypertension and dyslipidemia.

Methods: This study is cross-sectional research conducted from May to August 2024—a self-structured questionnaire validated by experts with a Cronbach's value of 0.7291 is utilized for this study. The sample size was 113, determined by the convenient sampling method. The questionnaire included demographics, participation in cardiovascular health promotion, hypertension care services, and dyslipidemia care services. SPSS version 26 was used for the statistical analysis

Results: In a study of 113 community pharmacists in Lahore, 53.1% were from the age group of 26-35 years, and only 2% were over 45. The study assessed pharmacists' roles in cardiovascular health promotion and management of hypertension and dyslipidemia. Findings revealed that 61.1% of pharmacists consistently counsel patients on healthy lifestyles, while 43.4% regularly educate patients about potential adverse drug reactions. However, only 22.1% of pharmacies offered diagnostic tests for dyslipidemia. The study highlights pharmacists' critical yet varied involvement in cardiovascular disease prevention and management.

Conclusion: In this study, improved behavior was seen by the pharmacists as most of them always provide services to promote health in CVD patients and management of hypertension and dyslipidemia.