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Capitol Hill Health Fair

By Stephanie Yager posted 11-22-2013 00:20

  

This week I had the opportunity to participate in the Capitol Hill Health Fair hosted by APhA, ASHP, NCPA, NACDS, and Congressional Community Pharmacy Caucus. More than 75 pharmacists and student pharmacists were there to perform free health screenings and promote the value of pharmacist-provided patient care services. The screenings included bone density, body composition, glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, and medication consultations.

My time was split into 2 roles during the health fair. Half of the time, I used a heel ultrasound machine to measure bone density. The other half of the time, I counseled the people who stopped by on their bone density results and risks and preventions for osteoporosis. I enjoyed practicing my counseling skills. I felt that the people who stopped by to learn about osteoporosis were genuinely interested in the information that I provided. I was a little nervous at first, but once I started talking I realized how much knowledge I had and became more confident in my counseling skills throughout the morning. Some of the people who were scanned had osteopenia. Now they know that they should talk to their doctor about it and start taking preventative measures to prevent osteoporosis. Even the people who had a normal bone scan learned a lot from the experience. Many of them only had a vague idea of what osteoporosis was and they didn't know about all of the foods that contain calcium. They were surprised to hear that leafy greens and broccoli also contain calcium.

Events like this are extremely helpful in promoting the pharmacist's role as an integral member of the health care team. Many people go to busy chain pharmacies and have very little interaction with their pharmacists. Events like this show them that pharmacists are very knowledgeable about diseases and can provide advice on lifestyle modifications and over the counter dietary supplements. Since this event occurred on Capitol Hill, I hope that the members of Congress will remember their interactions with us and vote in favor of promoting the pharmacist's role in future legislation. 



#NewPractitioners #InpatientCarePractitioner #Screening #PharmacyStudents #GovernmentAffairs #Osteoporosis #StateAffiliate #ASHPStaff #AmbulatoryCarePractitioners #Retiree #Resident #HealthFair #CapitalHill #HouseofDelegates #Advocacy
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