Appropriate management and referral of patients with chronic peripheral joint pain

摘要

As accessible frontline healthcare professionals,community pharmacists manage patients with chronic diseases and support healthy living alongside dispensing medicines and providing support with medication use.In addition to providing information,advice and education,this expanded role may include supporting behaviour change and referral to other healthcare professionals or signposting to other community or support services12.Chronic peripheral joint pain is a frequent presentation in community pharmacy,and can be defined as mechanical(activity-related)pain of any joint(excluding the spine)lasting for at least tiiree months,with or without loss of function.In patients aged 45 years and over,this pain is often caused by osteoarthritis(OA)3,and is frequently associated with co-existing physical and mental health problems4 and reduced quality of life56.The impact of mechanical joint pain on daily activities varies between individuals and also depends on the joint affected.For example,stairs can be problematic for those with knee or hip pain,while thumb pain can impact grip.In addition to peripheral joint abnormality,person-specific central factors(e.g.anxiety,depression,catastro-phising trait,non-restorative sleep)can modify pain experience and the degree of participation restriction.