Point-of-Care Testing for Blood Glucose and Lipids in Community Pharmacies in Ogun State

Community pharmacies represent an underutilised platform for biochemical screening and chronic disease management in Nigeria. This study evaluates the implementation and accuracy of point-of-care testing for blood glucose and lipids in community pharmacies in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. A cross-sectional evaluation design was adopted, involving 30 randomly selected community pharmacies conducting point-of-care biochemical tests. Capillary blood glucose and total cholesterol measured by pharmacy point-of-care devices were compared with simultaneous venous samples analysed by standard laboratory methods. Device accuracy was assessed by calculating bias and limits of agreement using Bland-Altman analysis. Standard operating procedure availability, quality control practices, pharmacist training, and client counselling documentation were also evaluated through structured observation. The study explores the extent to which pharmacy point-of-care testing contributes to the identification of previously undiagnosed diabetes and dyslipidaemia in the community. Recommendations for quality standards and training requirements for point-of-care testing in Nigerian community pharmacies are proposed. Keywords: point-of-care testing, blood glucose, community pharmacy, lipid screening, Ogun State.