Asthma Study Reinforces Pharmacists' Role In Primary Health Care

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 07 Jul 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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An asthma-management study published in today's edition of the Medical Journal of Australia highlights the valuable role pharmacists can play in primary health care and chronic disease self-management, according to the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA).

An abstract of the study Data-mining of medication records to improve asthma management, conducted by the University of Tasmania's School of Pharmacy, can be found here.

PSA Board Member Debbie Rigby said the study involved pharmacists who had been actively involved in identifying patients whose asthma may have needed review, and then referring them to their GP.

"The study highlights an innovative use of existing resources - dispensing histories - and the interventions that were made greatly benefited patients," Ms Rigby said. "The innovative software application developed by the research team provided the pharmacists with the ability to use their dispensing histories to identify patients who may have been too reliant on reliever medications

"Pharmacists provided educational resources such as the Asthma Foundations' asthma fact brochure to inform patients who may not have thought their symptoms of asthma required review. The information provided by the pharmacists to patients suggested that they go to their GP to discuss their current asthma management.

"The interventions resulted in fewer patients being reliant solely on reliever medication and encouraged more appropriate use of preventers.

"The outcomes support the education and outreach approach advocated by the National Asthma Council in its Asthma Management Handbook because optimal asthma control brings many benefits for consumers, not least in reducing the number of hospitalisations and other adverse events including deaths.

"Pharmacists frequently have the opportunity to interact with consumers and have an important role in reinforcing important messages received from medical practitioners and asthma educators.

"It is interesting that the study in the Medical Journal of Australia builds on the Woolcock Institute evidence issued last week that showed the benefits of pharmacist interventions in the use of inhalers."

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is the organisation that represents the professional interests of Australia's 18,000 pharmacists. It provides standards of practice, education, training and practice support for pharmacists and helps members of the profession to deliver quality health care to consumers.

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia