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Hong Kong university launches pharmacist-led osteoporosis screening program
The program is designed to refer high-risk patients to family doctors for bone density scans after routine pharmacy visits.
The University of Hong Kong plans to roll out a citywide osteoporosis screening programme at pharmacies early next year, starting with the launch of what it calls Hong Kong’s first pharmacist-led community screening effort, according to SCMP Economy.
The scheme uses a screening algorithm during routine visits to identify people at high risk and refer them to family doctors for bone density scans and diagnosis, with the aim of reducing bone fracture risk.
Osteoporosis affects about 30.0% of women and 8.0% of men aged 50 and older in Hong Kong, but SCMP Economy reports that up to 80.0% of cases go undiagnosed and untreated because the condition is often asymptomatic until a fracture occurs.
SCMP Economy also notes that fewer than one in 10 at-risk people seek bone density screening proactively, and cites local data indicating nearly half of hip fracture patients do not survive beyond five years, with high death tolls linked to complications from prolonged immobility such as pneumonia and other infections.