Effectiveness of Pharmacist Interventions in Difficult Asthma

Of the 5.2 million people with asthma in the UK, approximately one in every 40 have severe asthma that needs the maximum available treatments advised in national asthma guidelines (known as the 'British Thoracic Society / Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network British Guideline on the Management of Asthma'). Despite this, asthma is still inadequately controlled in about half of these patients and they are classed as having 'difficult asthma'. There maybe potential for improvement of the care and health of these patients through better use of medicines and greater input from pharmacists, but more research is needed.

The aim of the study is to measure the effects over six months of coordinated information and advice about medicines from hospital and community pharmacists on asthma control in patients with difficult asthma. The patients in the study (52 in total) will be recruited from adult patients attending a specialist difficult asthma clinic in a hospital.

Patients will be randomly chosen to have either an appointment with the specialist pharmacist (intervention group), or usual medical care (control group). Usual care will involve seeing the Consultant or Specialist Registrar (doctor) in the clinic. Patients in the intervention group will receive i) assessment and education on asthma, and review of their inhaler technique, from a hospital Advanced Clinical Pharmacist and ii) will also be referred for a medicines use review from their usual community pharmacist (chemist), to take place 1-2 months after their hospital clinic appointment. The Advanced Clinical Pharmacist will be working closely with the Consultant.

Results will be measured using methods that have been developed by experts in asthma and tested in previous research. Asthma control will be measured using Juniper's Asthma Control Questionnaire. Other measurements will cover quality of life, use of medication, use of healthcare resources, and inhaler technique.