General Resources on NCDs

FIP’s work on non-communicable diseases aiming to highlight the multiple and important roles that pharmacists can play in this area and support FIP member organisations and individual pharmacists to develop and provide services that improve the quality of life of people living with non-communicable diseases, and contribute to the efficiency, resilience and sustainability of healthcare systems. Over the years, FIP has produced multiple resources on NCDs, including policy and position statements, reference papers, calls to action and other advocacy pieces, but also practice support guidelines, survey reports and data and digital events.

The exposure to NCDs and their complications could be reduced if affordable, evidence-based preventive actions were implemented efficiently, and therapy directed to a broader population. Measures include community awareness of NCD risk factors and education and initiatives to support individual behavioural changes, screening and early detection of diseases; promoting access to medicines; promoting and supporting evidence-based therapies and their responsible use; offering disease state management services to monitor outcomes and drug-related problems and adjust therapies as necessary; fostering adherence to treatments and providing mental health support as needed.

On this page you will find all the content that is transversal to all NCDs, including the five areas highlighted in the other sections of this website but also from other disease areas and resources that support pharmacists’ work on NCDs.

Publications

Pharmacy-based point-of-care testing: A global intelligence report – Executive summary (2024)

This publication summarises the “Pharmacy-based point-of-care testing: A global intelligence report”, a report that brings together evidence from a literature review, findings from a survey of 25 countries, 11 case studies, and the discussion of a FIP insight board, giving an overview of pharmacist-led POCT interventions around the world.POCT services, which include a wide range of tests to identify, diagnose, assess and/or monitor indicators of health, are strongly correlated with positive health outcomes. They are also linked to economic savings, increased health system efficiency and reduced burden on other healthcare sectors, the authors say. The report gives examples of POCT services being linked to prescribing authority by pharmacists, contributing to reducing pressure on general practice and emergency departments.

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Iron Deficiency Anaemia: Managing symptoms and supporting selfcare. (2024)

This handbook provides pharmacists with the latest insights into iron deficiency anaemia, drawing on collective evidence and recommendations from existing guidelines and expert consensus. It addresses not only pharmacological treatment and non-pharmacological interventions but also prevention strategies. Additionally, the handbook covers guidelines for managing iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) in special populations, including paediatrics, non-pregnant women of reproductive age, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, the elderly, patients with chronic diseases, and individuals on strict diets. Overall, this handbook serves as an invaluable resource for pharmacists in managing IDA, underpinning the importance of pharmacists’ role in screening, managing, treating, patient education, and holistic self-care practices.

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Pharmacy-based point-of-care testing: A global intelligence report. (2023)

“Pharmacy-based point-of-care testing: A global intelligence report” brings together evidence from a literature review, findings from a survey of 25 countries, 11 case studies, and the discussion of a FIP insight board, giving an overview of pharmacist-led POCT interventions around the world.POCT services, which include a wide range of tests to identify, diagnose, assess and/or monitor indicators of health, are strongly correlated with positive health outcomes. They are also linked to economic savings, increased health system efficiency and reduced burden on other healthcare sectors, the authors say. The report gives examples of POCT services being linked to prescribing authority by pharmacists, contributing to reducing pressure on general practice and emergency departments.

 

This document is available in:

English

Greek

 

 

Medication review and medicines use review. A toolkit for pharmacists (2022)

This current toolkit is an update to the version of the toolkit on MUR published in December 2020. This new
version frames MUR as a subtype of MR, defines each type of professional service and provides guidance on
their implementation. Although it could seem that the difference between both services is subtle and mostly
terminological, there is a significant conceptual difference between MR — a service where the healthcare
team assesses a patient’s current medicines to optimise clinical, humanistic and economic factors—and MUR,
where the emphasis is in the word “use”, and where pharmacists interact directly with patients to improve
their medicines use, considering their preferences and, ultimately, optimising adherence to treatment

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Medicines reconciliation: a toolkit for pharmacists (2021)

This toolkit summarises the definitions, impact, and procedures for the implementation of pharmacist-led
medicines reconciliation in both community-based and hospital health care settings, with a set of tools to support this practice

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Medicines use review: a toolkit for pharmacists (2020)

This toolkit serves as a practical reference guide to implementing and conducting optimal MUR. It includes service implementation tools which can be directly used or adapted for clinical practice at the patient level.

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Beating non-communicable diseases in the community: The contribution of pharmacists (2019)

This reference paper provides global evidence to advocate, nationally and internationally, for an expanded role for pharmacists in NCD management by compiling best practices and examples. It also encourages pharmacists around the world to act upon NCDs.

Spanish | French | Turkish

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The role of pharmacists in non-communicable diseases (2019)

This FIP statement of policy renews the commitment of the profession to the optimal prevention, detection and care of patients living with NCDs. It replaces the 2006 FIP Policy Statement on the role of the pharmacist in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

German | Spanish | French

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Use of medicines by the elderly: The role of pharmacy in promoting adherence (2018)

This report explores the role of pharmacy in promoting medicine adherence among the elderly. It showcases best practices, interventions and programmes initiated around the world to improve medication adherence, particularly those targeting the elderly.

Turkish | Spanish | Arabic

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How pharmacists can improve adherence in the elderly (2018)

Article published on the International Pharmacy Journal.

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The role of the pharmacist in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease (2006)

This FIP statement of policy served as the first response of the Federation that highlights the role of pharmacists in addressing and managing chronic diseases.

French | Spanish | German

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The Role of the Pharmacist in Encouraging Adherence to Long-term Treatments (2003)

This statement of professional standards encourages pharmacists providing services involving long-term treatment with medicines to assist patients to improve adherence.

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Events/Webinars

The role of pharmacists in the prevention and management of periodontal disease and other common oral health conditions

March 20, 2024

This event will provide pharmacists with essential knowledge about periodontal disease by exploring the basics of the disease. We will discuss the relationship between oral health and non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and kidney disease, highlighting the need for a holistic approach to wellness. Evidence-based oral hygiene recommendations tailored for effective periodontitis management will also be explored. Join us to celebrate World Oral Health Day and understand the role of pharmacists in periodontal disease and other common oral health conditions.

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Integrating point-of-care testing in community pharmacy practice: Findings from a global intelligence report

November 17, 2023

Pharmacy professionals are fully committed to an interprofessional and person-centred approach to healthcare. Where the regulatory framework allows, a wide range of point-of-care tests (POCT) can be carried out in community pharmacies. POCT can be incorporated into disease management programmes to monitor the effects of treatment in people living with non-communicable diseases. In addition, in acute situations, pharmacy professionals can use POCT to support clinical decision-making and provide rapid, safe pharmaceutical care. These tests provide valuable data to inform health-related decisions and reduce avoidable visits to primary care physicians or emergency departments. At this event, FIP will launch a global intelligence report on pharmacy-based point-of-care testing.

 

Moderator:
– Sherif Guorgui, President of the FIP Community Pharmacy Section, Canada

Panellist:
– Inês Nunes da Cunha, FIP Practice Development and Transformation Projects Manager, FIP, The Netherlands
– Mfonobong Ekpoh, FIP Intern, Nigeria
– Paul Sinclair, President FIP, Australia
– Luís Lourenço, Professional secretary FIP, Portugal
– Sadaf Faisal, Director, Professional Affairs, Canadian Pharmacists Association, Canada
– Ema Paulino, President, Portuguese National Association of Pharmacies (ANF), Portugal
– Mariet Eksteen, Professional Development and Support Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa, South Africa
– Elen Jones, Director for Wales Royal Pharmaceutical Society, UK

 

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The role of pharmacists in oral health

May 16, 2022

This event will discuss the role of community pharmacists in promoting oral health and the links between oral health and other non-communicable diseases. Also, the event will address the needs for additional training, interprofessional education and collaborative practice models between dentistry and pharmacy. Key interventions by community pharmacists in oral health care from different parts of the world will be presented.

Aim: To discuss the role of pharmacists in oral health, describe how pharmacists’ interventions in oral health can contribute to the prevention of non-communicable diseases, and explore interprofessional education and collaborative practice models between dentistry and pharmacy.

Learning objectives:
1. Understand the importance of oral health in the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCD), such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer and diabetes;
2. Explore the role of community pharmacists in promoting oral health care;
3. Discuss the need for oral health care training and education resources that support pharmacists deliver improved and responsive oral health care interventions;
4. Explore interprofessional collaborative practice models between dentists and pharmacists.

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O papel do farmacêutico nas doenças não transmissíveis / The role of pharmacists in non-communicable diseases

July 21, 2021

This event was held in Portuguese.

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FIP DG 15: People-centred care

July 7, 2021

This event focuses on FIP Development Goals 15: People-centred care of non-communicable diseases. The webinar presents collaborative interprofessional strategies and people-centred professional services to support the prevention, screening, clinical management, and therapeutic optimisation of NCDs and long-terms conditions. Hence, the event will seek to amplify how pharmaceutical education, workforce, practice and sciences can be integrated to ensure pharmacists’ contribution to the prevention and management of NCDs.

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Reducing medication harm through medicines use reviews: pharmacists at the frontline

April 12, 2021

This webinar explores pharmacists’ frontline role in reducing medication-related harm through medicines use review (MUR). Pharmacists from different care settings from across the world discuss how MUR has been integrated into their clinical practice in addition to the evidence for the clinical and economic benefits supporting this service. The FIP toolkit on MUR, launched in December 2020, is presented.

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Medicines reconciliation: an essential pharmacist-led service to ensuring patient safety

April 19, 2021

This webinar explores medicines reconciliation as an essential service in ensuring patient safety. As transitions of care bear an increased risk of medication discrepancies, which lead to adverse effects, pharmacist-led medicines reconciliation has been demonstrated to effectively resolve such discrepancies and contribute to avoiding patient harm. Pharmacy experts and FIP team members from around the world present data supporting this service in addition to the FIP toolkit on medicines reconciliation launched in February 2021.

Coming Soon

SIGN 2 – Pharmacists’ roles in NCDs, healthy lives and disease prevention

September 29, 2021

Through research, pharmacists have proven to be a valued asset in the global fight against NCDs, being able to perform relevant activities in the multidisciplinary healthcare team focused on prevention and early detection, and optimizing and ensuring compliance with medicines therapy regimens. At this SIGN – Sharing Ideas in a Global Network – webinar, colleagues from Nigeria, South Africa and United States will share best practices from their countries, which were carefully selected by FIP.

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The use of pictograms and infographics to support medication literacy and medication adherence

November 15, 2017

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Partnerships

Partnerships are crucial in ensuring the delivery of the goals of FIP in the area of NCDs management. Partners bring their specific expertise and networks to this partnership, thereby improving the quality of services and activities developed by the FIP. These partnerships yield benefits to individual members of FIP and member organisations, which ultimately benefit patients and health systems. With the increasing global focus on NCDs, the potential to partner with several organisations will be explored, in order to strengthen pharmacists’ response to this challenge.

The different organisations that collaborate or have collaborated with FIP in this area are highlighted in the various sections of this website, according to the respective disease areas.

Groups and Networks

FIP have convened networks and groups of experts in non-communicable diseases to address a specific area of concern. The two groups that have been convened include:

  • The Global Network of Pharmacists Against Tobacco

The Global Network of Pharmacists Against Tobacco was established by FIP in collaboration with the EuroPharm Forum, as a global forum for pharmacists, pharmaceutical students, and their professional organisations as well as other individuals or organisations interested in smoking cessation and tobacco control activities. The network was officially launched during the World Conference on Tobacco or Health 2003 in Helsinki, Finland, and has since been discontinued.

Website: https://www.fip.org/projectsfip/pharmacistsagainsttobacco/

  • Working Group on Non-communicable Diseases

FIP established the Working Group on Non-communicable Diseases in 2016 to collect and analyse the available evidence for the role and impact of pharmacists’ interventions in the fight against NCDs. The group was also tasked with providing an overview of existing national and regional policies around the fight against NCDs, assessing pharmacists’ value proposition in prevention, implementation, and supervision of the therapeutic plan and how these initiatives could be supported by new technologies, as well as analysing the skills of pharmacists for delivering these services.

The group conducted a global survey of FIP member organisations to understand the current roles of pharmacists, gaps, and opportunities in providing services addressing non-communicable diseases. Evidence garnered during the survey was instrumental in the development of the 2019 reference paper on NCDs titled ‘Beating non-communicable diseases in the community: The contribution of pharmacists.

This reference paper provides global evidence and best practices of pharmacists’ involvement in the prevention and management of NCDs and advocates for increased involvement in pharmacist-led, patient-centred NCD management activities that can lead to an improvement of patient outcomes.

Members of the Working Group included:

Chair: Isabel Jacinto (Portugal) Chair 2015 2017: Isabelle Adenot (France) Yetunde Oyeneyin (Nigeria) Luna El Bizri (Lebanon) Kristina Billberg (Sweden) Deirdre Criddle (Australia) Manjiri Gharat (India) Michael D. Hogue (USA) Layla Kishli (Lebanon) Anna Laven (Germany) Gonçalo Sousa Pinto (FIP) Ying Zhou (China)