This document describes a health promotion initiative that aimed to explore the feasibility of using community pharmacies to raise awareness of malnutrition in older people. The initiative provided training to staff in 10 pharmacies, with 4 pharmacies participating. The participating pharmacies administered a questionnaire to 260 customers aged 65+, collecting data on weight, eating habits, and nutritional risk. Analysis found that 19% were at risk of malnutrition. Training improved staff awareness of malnutrition and led them to have conversations on nutrition. The results suggest community pharmacies can effectively deliver public health services.

1. Role of community pharmacies in raising
awareness of malnutrition in older people
by A.J. Aburrow, J. Micklam, J. Bowhill,
K. Wallis, E.L. Parsons

2. Aims of the health promotion initiative
To explore the
feasibility of
community
pharmacies in
raising awareness
of undernutrition
in older people
Assess whether
training provided to
pharmacy staff led to
improved awareness
of malnutrition and
specific
conversations with
older people
To provide
information to
help shape the
future community
pharmacy services
in Portsmouth

3. Methods:
• Training provided to staff from 10 community pharmacies
• 4 pharmacies took part in the 3-month initiative
• Talking to older people using a structured questionnaire
• Included questions about weight, recent weight loss and
eating habits
• Staff provided basic dietary advice, resources and
signposting
• Entered data onto PharmOutcomes; exported to Excel
for analysis
• Informal discussions with pharmacy staff to obtain
qualitative feedback
• £200 provided by NHS Portsmouth CCG to the four
pharmacies for taking part

4. Results:
• 7 staff trained from the 4 pharmacies who took part in the
initiative
• 260 questionnaires completed by the 4 pharmacies
• 68% were female
• 55% eat alone most days
• Two thirds rarely eat a hot meal
• Data on BMI and recent weight loss suggest a malnutrition
‘risk’ of at least 19%
• Signposting to GP and Wellbeing service was the most
common
• Pharmacies varied in the approach they used to engage
older people in a conversation around nutrition and eating

5. Conclusions:
Training can improve
malnutrition
awareness in
community pharmacy
staff and lead to
conversations with
customers
Results suggest
concurrence with
existing research that
community
pharmacies can
actively be involved in
delivering public
health services (DoH,
2011)
Several reasons
for the success
of the initiative