Pharmacy-based bone mass measurement to assess osteoporosis risk

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate elderly women's knowledge of their skeletal status, assess adequacy of calcium intake, determine the prevalence of low bone density, and determine whether peripheral bone density testing led to medical interventions in a group of rural, elderly Wisconsin women recruited in community pharmacies. DESIGN: Recruiting notices were posted in each pharmacy, and eligible women were enrolled in the order in which they volunteered. Each completed a fracture-risk questionnaire. Calcaneal bone density was measured within the following 6 weeks, using peripheral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Mail surveys were used to assess interventions subsequent to the womens' study participation. SETTING: The study was conducted at 5 community pharmacies in rural Wisconsin. RESULTS: Of 133 women, 20% had calcaneal osteoporosis, defined as a T score ≤2.5 (calcaneal bone density