Assessment of a Community Pharmacy‐Based Program for Patients with Asthma

Abstract

Study Objective. To implement and assess a community‐based pharmaceutical care program for patients with asthma. Design. Prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Setting. Community pharmacies (11 control, 11 intervention) in Malta. Patients. Community‐dwelling patients with asthma. Interventions. A comprehensive asthma education and monitoring program was implemented. Intervention patients received verbal counseling, an educational video, an information leaflet, and subsequent monitoring with reinforcement; control patients received routine dispensing services. Measurements and Main Results. Parameters assessed at baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 months were health‐related quality of life, peak expiratory flow (PEF), inhaler technique, compliance with therapy, hospitalization rates, days lost from work, asthma symptoms, and patient satisfaction. Health‐related quality of life of the intervention patients improved at 12 months (p=0.044). In the same time period, PEF significantly decreased in control patients compared with intervention patients (p=0.009) whereas inhaler technique improved in the intervention group (p=0.021). There were significantly fewer self‐reported hospitalizations in intervention patients. Conclusions. A community‐based pharmaceutical care program was appreciated by the participants and had a positive impact on the vitality of patients with asthma, inhaler technique, and PEF.