AbstractsMedical & Health Science

[Truncated abstract] Chlamydia, caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, is the most commonly notified bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) in developed countries and it is the most frequently notified STI in Australia. Control of chlamydia is challenging because the majority of people infected are asymptomatic. Left untreated, persistent chlamydia can result in serious sequelae, including pelvic inflammatory disease, tubal infertility and ectopic pregnancy in a proportion of women. These complications in turn could cause considerable distress to the individuals and, in case of infertility, have major cost implications for health services. To date, much of the chlamydia screening research in Australia has focused on improving chlamydia screening rates from general practice. However, it has been well documented that young people face barriers such as inconvenient opening hours, high costs and long waiting time associated with appointments. To overcome these barriers and increase the number of young people being tested annually for chlamydia in Australia, this thesis explores the role of community pharmacies in chlamydia screening. The aims of the thesis were to: 1. Determine the different types of pharmacy-based chlamydia screening interventions that have been piloted and/or implemented nationally and internationally; 2. Identify the processes involved in developing a pharmacy-based chlamydia screening intervention; 3. Apply these processes to develop a pharmacy-based chlamydia screening intervention in the Australian health care setting; and 4. Measure the effectiveness and acceptability of the developed pharmacy-based chlamydia screening intervention. To determine the different types of pharmacy-based chlamydia screening interventions that have been piloted and/or implemented nationally and internationally, a systematic review of the literature was conducted. Nine different chlamydia screening interventions conducted in the Netherlands, the United States, England, Scotland and Australia were identified. Both opportunistic and population-based pharmacy-based chlamydia screening were found to be feasible. Participating consumers reported that pharmacies were accessible and convenient, and pharmacists were competent when offering a chlamydia test... [Truncated abstract] Chlamydia, caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, is the most commonly notified bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) in developed countries and it is the most frequently notified STI in Australia. Control of chlamydia is challenging because the majority of people infected are asymptomatic. Left untreated, persistent chlamydia can result in serious sequelae, including pelvic inflammatory disease, tubal infertility and ectopic pregnancy in a proportion of women. These complications in turn could cause considerable distress to the individuals and, in case of infertility, have major cost implications for health services. To date, much of the chlamydia screening research in Australia has focused on improving chlamydia…