Pharmacists boning up on osteoporosis care

Thirty years ago, when Kathy Karas, R.Ph., graduated from Ohio Northern University's Rudolph H. Raabe College of Pharmacy, osteoporosis was a little-known bone disease with few treatment options available to patients. Within the past few decades, as the medical community learned how to prevent and treat the bone-thinning disorder and new drug therapies arrived on pharmacy shelves, Karas became increasingly interested in helping patients improve their bone health.

"Some pharmacists specialize in diabetes and hypertension, but I was interested in women's health and no other pharmacy was focusing on osteoporosis care in my community," said Karas, of Sand Run Pharmacy in Akron, Ohio. She added, "Many women are not encouraged to take calcium, and they don't understand the risk factors and lifestyle behaviors that can affect their bone density."

About four years ago, Karas became one of the first pharmacists in the country to offer osteoporosis screening and counseling on how to maintain healthy bones. She completed 15 hours of specialized training and was awarded a certification in osteoporosis care through the National Institute for Pharmacist Care Outcomes (NIPCO), the disease management division of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) in Alexandria, Va.

As pharmacists play a greater role in drug therapy monitoring and disease state counseling in their community pharmacies, some like Karas have chosen to specialize in osteoporosis by offering vital health information to the community, expanding their business, and differentiating themselves from other pharmacies.

"Osteoporosis screening and monitoring are rapidly becoming one way in which pharmacists are fulfilling an unmet patient need and, at the same time, helping to capitalize on the public's growing demand for prevention services," said Lindsey Stephens, R.Ph., senior manager of professional services at Medicap Pharmacies of West Des Moines, Iowa.

Currently, there are approximately 1,200 pharmacists certified in osteoporosis care. The certificate program is one of 12 that are offered by NIPCO, which also provides training in other disease states, ranging from arthritis and diabetes to nutrition and respiratory care.

"The idea behind the certificate programs is to give pharmacists a comprehensive clinical overview of the disease state and provide the business strategies for implementing such a counseling program in their community pharmacies," noted Kathryn Kuhn, R.Ph., NCPA's senior VP of pharmacy programs.

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