Pharmaceutical care for adult asthma patients: A controlled intervention one-year follow-up study

Asthma is a clinical problem with social, psychological and economic burdens. To improve patient disease management, different education programmes have been developed. Challenges in asthma management may be partially attributed to non-adherence or improper use of inhalers. This study aimed to implement and assess hospital-based pharmaceutical care services for asthmatic patients. A 12-month, single-centre, randomized, controlled study was initiated in asthmatic adult patients who had been divided into either a control or intervention group. Patients in the control group received the usual care, and patients in the intervention group received patient counselling per study protocol that covered asthma knowledge, control, adherence to treatment and inhalation techniques. The main variables compared measurements at baseline with those at 6 and 12 months. A total of 192 patients completed the study protocol: 90 in the control group and 102 in the intervention group. The control group included 90 patients, and the intervention group included 102 patients. Over the course of the 12-month follow-up period, a significant difference was observed between intervention and control groups with respect to asthma control (38.2% vs 10.0%; P < .001), mean correct inhalation technique (confidence interval [CI]: 8.1, 7.8-8.5 vs CI: 6.1; 5.6-6.6; P = .01) and good medication adherence (60.7% vs 50.0%, P = .02). There were 34% and 25% decreases in emergency room visits and hospital admissions, respectively, in the intervention group compared to the control group. This study emphasizes the importance of patient counselling in asthma management and the significant contribution that the pharmacist's intervention can have on asthma control.