In:
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Wiley, Vol. 77, No. 5 ( 2014-05), p. 756-766
Abstract:
Few well‐designed randomized controlled trials have been conducted regarding the impact of community pharmacist interventions on pharmacotherapeutic monitoring of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ). We assessed the effectiveness of a pharmaceutical care programme for patients with COPD . Methods The pharmaceutical care for patients with COPD ( PHARMACOP ) trial is a single‐blind 3 month randomized controlled trial, conducted in 170 community pharmacies in B elgium, enrolling patients prescribed daily COPD medication, aged ≥50 years and with a smoking history of ≥10 pack‐years. A computer‐generated randomization sequence allocated patients to an intervention group ( n = 371), receiving protocol‐defined pharmacist care, or a control group ( n = 363), receiving usual pharmacist care (1:1 ratio, stratified by centre). Interventions focusing on inhalation technique and adherence to maintenance therapy were carried out at start of the trial and at 1 month follow‐up. Primary outcomes were inhalation technique and medication adherence. Secondary outcomes were exacerbation rate, dyspnoea, COPD ‐specific and generic health status and smoking behaviour. Results From D ecember 2010 to A pril 2011, 734 patients were enrolled. Forty‐two patients (5.7%) were lost to follow‐up. At the end of the trial, inhalation score [mean estimated difference (Δ),13.5%; 95% confidence interval ( CI ), 10.8–16.1; P 〈 0.0001] and medication adherence (Δ, 8.51%; 95% CI , 4.63–12.4; P 〈 0.0001) were significantly higher in the intervention group compared with the control group. In the intervention group, a significantly lower hospitalization rate was observed (9 vs . 35; rate ratio, 0.28; 95% CI , 0.12–0.64; P = 0.003). No other significant between‐group differences were observed. Conclusions Pragmatic pharmacist care programmes improve the pharmacotherapeutic regimen in patients with COPD and could reduce hospitalization rates.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0306-5251
,
1365-2125
DOI:
10.1111/bcp.2014.77.issue-5
Language:
English
Publisher:
Wiley
Publication Date:
2014
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1498142-7
SSG:
15,3
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