Since September 2023 Healthy Meath in collaboration with The Irish Pharmacy Union, Community Pharmacies and Roche Diagnostics have been delivering a Chronic Disease Risk Management Programme within communities across County Meath.

Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council, Cllr. Tommy Reilly today launched the County Meath Chronic Disease Risk Management Pilot Report in the Ardboyne Hotel, Navan. 

The project, delivered under Meath County Council's Healthy Meath programme, aims to raise awareness and educate the citizens of County Meath on risk factors for chronic disease. It also provides them with tools to reduce these factors and elicit behaviour change through referral, personalised advice, and follow-up. 60 individuals living in Kells and Oldcastle participated in the pilot. 

The report highlights that health issues such as high blood pressure, obesity, and poor dietary habits were prevalent among some participants who received a health check. However, when individuals were contacted 4 weeks after their health check, many reported improved lifestyle habits based on the personalised advice they had received from the pharmacist at their health check.

Aisling O'Donnell, Healthy Ireland Coordinator for Meath, said, ‘'In late 2022, after an extensive research, stakeholder and public consultation process, Healthy Meath identified chronic disease as a key area of concern for the population of Meath. Healthy Meath is thrilled to be working with Community Pharmacies in Meath to provide these health checks and remove barriers people experience to accessing personalised health information in our County.''

Head of Healthcare Development for Roche Diagnostics in Ireland, Len Marshall, said, "Roche is delighted to be part of this community-led health check programme, and the results demonstrate what can be achieved when you give people timely information to take control of their own health and the support to lead a healthier lifestyle. What Meath County Council has achieved is an exemplar of how community health strategies can be made more accessible to individuals by locating support in near-patient settings such as community pharmacies. There is no reason why initiatives like this could not be adopted by county councils across Ireland."

The pilot was a big success, and the project has been extended to Trim, Navan, Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin, Stamullen, and Duleek in 2024. 

The project is funded by Healthy Ireland and supported by the Department of Health. It is a collaborative project between Healthy Meath at Meath County Council, the Irish Pharmacy Union, Roche Diagnostics, and Community Pharmacies. If you would like to learn more, please email the Healthy Ireland Coordinator for Meath at healthymeath@meathcoco.ie. 

Pictured at the launch with Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council Cllr. Tommy Reilly are Sinead McCool Head of Professional Services Irish Pharmacy Union, Aisling O'Donnell, Healthy Ireland Coordinator, Lara Marin Professional Services Pharmacist Irish Pharmacy Union, Sinead Murphy Healthcare Development Manager Roche Diagnostics.