Hospital pharmacists' roles in promoting asthma self-management: a cross-sectional study in a Nigerian tertiary Hospital
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Abstract
Background: According to the Nigerian Thoracic Society, there are about 15 million asthmatics in Nigeria. Poor inhaler techniques may lead to inadequate symptom control or death. Pharmacists can promote asthma selfmanagement through proper demonstration of the use of asthma devices.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess hospital pharmacists' roles in promoting asthma selfmanagement.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among hospital pharmacists in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) between May to July, 2017. As of the time of the study, there were 198 hospital pharmacists practicing in UNTH. A 29-item structured self-administered questionnaire assessing information on stock, action plan for pharmacists, opinions on current asthma management, interventions with asthma patients and factors influencing pharmacists' interventions with asthma patients was utilized. Validated checklists were used to assess inhaler techniques and peak flow meter use, respectively, from participants' demonstrations using dummy inhalers and peak flow meters. Poor techniques were corrected after each demonstration.
Results: Eighty three questionnaires were completed and returned (41.9% participation rate). More than 90% of the hospital pharmacists claimed to educate patients about their asthma medications. Only about a quarter (25.3%) claimed to help asthma patients use peak flow meters appropriately. Less than half (39.8%) of the hospital pharmacists were willing to intervene with asthma patients. Summarily, the demonstrated good techniques for the asthma devices were: pMDI (26.5%), accuhaler (24.1%), turbuhaler (14.5%), pMDI plus spacer (1.2%), peak flow meter (1.2%).
Conclusion: Although the hospital pharmacists believed that they had competence to educate on inhaler techniques, they demonstrated poor inhaler techniques and were deficient in the knowledge of peak flow meter use.
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