Renal point-of-care testing: collaboration between biomedical scientists and community pharmacists

Community Pharmacy-Based eGFR Screening for Early Detection of CKD in High Risk Patients

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition presenting with long-term slow progression of structural and/or functional damage to the kidneys. Early detection is key to preventing complications and improving outcomes. Point-of-care estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) screening technology allows for detection of abnormal kidney function in the community pharmacy setting.

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of a community pharmacist-directed point-of-care screening program and to identify the prevalence of CKD in high-risk patients.

Design

Quantitative observational.

Setting

Four community pharmacies in British Columbia over a 6-month period.

Patients

In all, 642 participants with at least one CKD risk factor were identified and screened. Mean age was 60 years and females accounted for 55% of the study population.

Measurements

Serum creatinine was measured from peripheral blood using the HeathTab® screening system (Piccolo® Renal Function Panel with the Piccolo® blood chemistry analyzer). eGFR was calculated according to the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) formula.

Methods

Patients provided a sample of peripheral blood via a self-administered finger-prick and analytical data to assess kidney function was reported including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, and electrolytes by the HealthTab^® screening system. Once results were available, the pharmacist conducted a comprehensive medication review with the patient and recommended certain follow-up actions if appropriate.

Results

CKD risk factor included diabetes (30%), hypertension (45%), cardiovascular disease (12%), family history of kidney disease (13%), age over 55 years (68%), and an Aboriginal, Asian, South Asian, or African ethnic background (82%). A total of 11.5% of patients had eGFR values lower than 60 mL/min (abnormal renal function) and 34% had an eGFR between 60 and 89 mL/min (minimally reduced renal function). Overall pharmacists' actions included blood pressure check (98%), education on CKD and risk factors (89%), medication review (72%), and physician follow-up (38%). Limitations included lack of follow-up beyond the 3-month study period prevented medical confirmation of CKD and limited the ability to quantify the impact of pharmacist interventions on the clinical outcomes of patients with low eGFR.

Conclusion

These results illustrate the prevalence of abnormal renal function among undiagnosed, high-risk patients in the community. Pharmacists, as the most accessible healthcare practitioners, are ideally positioned to utilize novel point-of care technologies to improve access to CKD screening, facilitate follow-up, and increase awareness around the importance of early detection.

Quality performance of laboratory testing in pharmacies: a collaborative evaluation

Background:

The quality performance and the comparability between results of pharmacies point-of-care-testing (POCT) and institutional laboratories have been evaluated.

Methods:

Eight pharmacies participated in the project: a capillary specimen collected by the pharmacist and, simultaneously, a lithium-heparin sample drawn by a physician of laboratory medicine for the pharmacy customers (n=106) were analyzed in the pharmacy and in the laboratory, respectively. Glucose, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, creatinine, uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, were measured using: Reflotron, n=5; Samsung, n=1; Cardiocheck PA, n=1; Cholestech LDX, n=1 and Cobas 8000. The POCT analytical performance only (phase 2) were evaluated testing, in pharmacies and in the laboratory, the lithium heparin samples from a female drawn fasting daily in a week, and a control sample containing high concentrations of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides.

Results:

For all parameters, except triglycerides, the slopes showed a satisfactory correlation. For triglycerides, a median value higher in POCT in comparison to the laboratory (1.627 mmol/L vs. 0.950 mmol/L) has been observed. The agreement in the subjects classification, demonstrates that for glucose, 70% of the subjects show concentrations below the POCT recommended level (5.8–6.1 mmol/L), while 56% are according to the laboratory limit (<5.6 mmol/L). Total cholesterol exhibits a similar trend while POCT triglycerides show a greater percentage of increased values (21% vs. 9%). The reduction in triglycerides bias (phase 2) suggests that differences between POCT and central laboratory is attributable to a pre-analytical problem.

Conclusions:

The results confirm the acceptable analytical performance of POCT pharmacies and specific criticisms in the pre- and post-analytical phases.