Br J Clin Pharmacol 2013; Advance online publication
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who receive a community pharmacist-based intervention have improved inhalation technique and medication adherence, show the results of a randomized trial.
Findings from the PHARMAceutical Care for COPD (PHARMACOP) study, published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, also suggest that the pharmacist-led approach may reduce the rate of severe exacerbations.
The PHARMACOP trial was a single-blind study involving 170 community pharmacies and 734 individuals with COPD who were aged at least 50 years and had a smoking history of at least 10 pack years. Just over half (n=371) of the patients were randomly assigned to receive protocol-defined pharmacist care and 363 to usual pharmacist care.
The patients in the intervention group received two one-on-one counselling sessions; these included education about COPD and their medication, instruction on how to use their prescribed inhalers, and discussion on self-management, smoking cessation, and adherence.
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