The Coulee Region Community Pharmacy Asthma Intervention study

Area of Science:

• Pharmacist-led interventions
• Asthma therapy management
• Healthcare professional communication

Background:

• Community pharmacists play a role in patient care beyond dispensing.
• Effective communication between pharmacists and prescribers is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes.
• Previous research has not clearly defined the impact of pharmacist-initiated recommendations on prescriber decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if pharmacist-initiated recommendations to adjust asthma therapy are more beneficial to prescribers than communications without recommendations.
• To assess the helpfulness of pharmacist interventions in supporting clinical decisions for asthma management.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, multicenter, quasi-experimental study with a posttest design was conducted in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
• Pharmacists evaluated patient inhaler technique and adherence to controller medications.
• Faxes with either a therapy adjustment recommendation or general information were sent to prescribers, who then rated their helpfulness.

Main Results:

• Of the 60 patients enrolled, 60 faxes were sent, with 40 analyzed further.
• Recommendation faxes were rated as helpful by 62.5% of prescribers.
• Informational faxes were also rated as helpful by 62.5% of prescribers, indicating similar perceived value.

Conclusions:

• Both recommendation and informational faxes initiated by community pharmacists were found to be helpful to healthcare professionals.
• The study suggests that pharmaceutical care, whether providing specific recommendations or general information, is valuable to prescribers.
• Community pharmacist involvement in asthma therapy management supports clinical decision-making.