A Questionnaire Survey of the Inhalation Instruction in Pharmacies

Few studies have focused on the inhalation instruction in pharmacies which have the crucial role on the inhalation instruction. The aim of this study is to evaluate the level of knowledge and the degree of interest for asthma inhalation instruction methods among pharmacists receiving prescription from clinics. We conducted questionnaire surveys to chief pharmacists of 39 consecutive pharmacies belonging to HANSHIN Dispensing Pharmacy in Hyogo, Japan at July 2011. We obtained valid responses from 35 pharmacies. Among them, 14 pharmacies dealt with prescriptions mainly from the clinics (clinic pharmacies) and 21 pharmacies dealt with prescriptions originated from hospitals (hospital pharmacies), including 13 pharmacies that dealt with prescription filled by respiratory physicians (specialty hospital pharmacies). Although the inhalation instruction at the first visit was provided at every pharmacy, only 54.3% of all pharmacies provided inhalation instructions after the second visit. Compared to 0% of the clinic pharmacies, 40% of the specialty hospital pharmacies visually checked the patient's inhalation procedure after the second visit. Visual confirmation of the inhalation technique, especially in the clinic pharmacies, might play an important role in maintaining treatment adherence.