Study protocol: Development, implementation, evaluation and refinement of a translational allergic rhinitis clinical...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Clinical Pathway Development
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Allergic Rhinitis (AR) is a prevalent chronic respiratory disease affecting 40% of the global population.
• Suboptimal AR medication use is common in community pharmacies, highlighting a need for improved guideline implementation.
• Current AR management practices necessitate a more evidence-based approach for effective patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the methods for developing, implementing, evaluating, and refining an evidence-based Allergic Rhinitis Clinical Management Pathway (AR-CMaP).
• To create a guideline-informed pathway tailored for community pharmacy settings.
• To address the challenges of suboptimal AR management and its societal burden.

Main Methods:

• Development of AR-CMaP based on current AR management guidelines and patient self-management behaviors.
• Implementation of AR-CMaP in six Australian Capital Territory pharmacies (Phase 1 & 2).
• Evaluation using a pre-post intervention study design to assess impact on AR medication management and pharmacy practice (Phase 3).
• Refinement of AR-CMaP for generalizability and scalability across diverse pharmacy settings (Phase 4).

Main Results:

• The study protocol details a phased approach to pathway development and implementation.
• Evaluation methods are established to measure the pathway's impact on pharmacy practice and patient outcomes.
• Refinement strategies are planned to ensure broad applicability.

Conclusions:

• An urgent need exists for a translational AR clinical pathway to improve management and reduce disease burden.
• The described methods support the development of a feasible and evidence-based AR clinical pathway for community pharmacies.
• This protocol provides a framework for implementing guideline-informed care in community pharmacy settings.