Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of a pilot community pharmacy care model for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to improve: 1) inhaler technique; 2) medication adherence; and 3) uptake of non-pharmacological treatment and prevention activities. Patients and Methods: Forty "host" pharmacies in Sydney were invited to recruit eligible patients and to provide a counselling room/area in their pharmacy for service provision. Eligible patients were referred to two "consultant" pharmacists, specifically trained to deliver a specialized pharmacy COPD service which involved 3 in-pharmacy visits and 2 follow-up phone calls over a 6-month period. The service consisted of 1) inhaler technique assessment; 2) medication adherence assessment; and 3) referrals to the patient's general practitioner (GP) to facilitate the uptake of non-pharmacological resources as well as to review COPD medications/devices, as required. Pre-post analyses were conducted using paired Student's t-test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test for independent variables and chi-squared tests for proportional data. Results: Nine "host" pharmacies recruited 40 patients, of whom 37 completed the baseline Visit and 27 completed all Visits. A total of 270 interventions were provided by the "consultant" pharmacists with most provided at Visit 1 (176). The most common interventions were addressing patient gaps in COPD knowledge and inhaler technique. A total of 119 referrals were made to GPs for various reasons, the most common being for a COPD action plan, pulmonary rehabilitation, or pneumonia vaccination. There were significant improvements pre-post intervention in inhaler use competence, COPD knowledge, immunization rate for pneumonia, exacerbation rate and COPD plan ownership. Conclusion:In this pilot study, the specialized pharmacy-based COPD care model delivered by "consultant" pharmacists in community pharmacies provided significant health benefits for patients. Further research is needed to assess the model's effectiveness in a larger population as well as when measured against standard care.
Objective. To provide optimal asthma care, community pharmacists must have advanced, contemporary knowledge, and the skills to translate them into practice. This paper describes the development and evaluation of an innovative multi-mode education program aiming to enhance pharmacists' clinical knowledge and practical skills. Methods. The education program comprised five evidence-based education modules delivered online and a skills review conducted either in-person with real-time feedback (urban pharmacists) or via video upload and scheduled video-conference feedback (regional and remote pharmacists). A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the feedback obtained from pharmacists to assess the content, efficacy, and applicability of the education. Results. The online education modules were collaboratively developed alongside asthma and pharmacy organizations. Ninety-seven pharmacists opted into the program and successfully completed all education requirements. A larger proportion of pharmacists did not pass protocol-based education modules on their first attempts compared to asthma and medication knowledge-based modules. Prior to skills review, the proportion of pharmacists demonstrating device technique competency was found to be suboptimal. Pharmacists rated the education modules highly in both quantitative and qualitative evaluations and reported that it adequately prepared them for service delivery. Conclusion.We have developed and evaluated a novel multi-mode asthma education program that supports knowledge and practical skill development in community pharmacists. The evaluation has shown the education program was well received by pharmacists and offers flexibility in learning and assessment as well as enhancing knowledge and practical skills. This form of education could be used more broadly in international collaborative trials.
Background Medicinal cannabis (MC) products have been available on prescription in Australia for around six years. General practitioners (GPs) are at the forefront of MC prescribing and recent years have seen substantial increases in prescription numbers. This study examined the current knowledge, experiences, and attitudes of Australian GPs around MC. We also compared our findings to those of an earlier 2017 investigation. Method We conducted a cross-sectional study using a 42-item on-line questionnaire adapted from our earlier 2017 survey. The current survey was completed by GPs attending an on-line, multi-topic educational seminar. Australian GPs (n = 505) completed the survey between November 2021 and February 2022. Data were synthesised using descriptive statistics. MC ‘prescribers’ and ‘non-prescribers’ responses were compared using Pearson’s χ2 tests. Results While most GPs (85.3%) had received patient enquiries about MC during the last three months, only half (52.3%) felt comfortable discussing MC with patients. Around one fifth (21.8%) had prescribed a MC product. GPs strongly supported MC prescribing for palliative care, cancer pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and epilepsy, more so than in our 2017 survey. Prescribing for mental health conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety) and insomnia received less support. Opioids, benzodiazepines, and chemotherapy drugs were rated as more hazardous than MC. GPs correctly endorsed concerns around Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol-related driving impairment and drug-seeking behaviour. However, additional concerns endorsed around cannabidiol causing addiction and driving impairment do not agree with current evidence. Consistent with this, many GPs (66.9%) felt they had inadequate knowledge of MC. Conclusion Acceptance of MC as a treatment option has increased among Australian GPs since 2017. However, there is a clear need for improved training and education of GPs around cannabis-based medicines to provide increased numbers of skilled prescribers in the community.
Background Australian pharmacists currently dispense a wide range of prescription-only cannabis-based medicines. Recent regulatory changes will expand the role of pharmacists, allowing certain low-dose cannabidiol products to be supplied without a prescription in pharmacies. This harmonises Australia with many other countries where cannabidiol products are readily available to consumers. Aim To examine Australian pharmacists’ experience, knowledge and attitudes towards medicinal cannabis and their preparedness to supply over-the-counter low-dose cannabidiol products. Method We conducted a cross-sectional study using a 51-item on-line questionnaire that was informed by previous surveys of health professionals and assessed for face validity. Australian pharmacists were recruited to complete the survey between May and December 2021, primarily through professional pharmacy organisations. Pharmacists were included in the final dataset if they completed the demographic characteristics section and at least one additional section of the questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive and relational statistical tests. Results There were 272 attempts to complete this survey and 217 responses included in the final dataset. Over half of the respondents (60.0%, 130/217) had dispensed at least one medicinal cannabis prescription during their career and 58.5% (127/217) had received at least one medicinal cannabis enquiry in the last fortnight. Only around half (53.9%, 117/217) felt comfortable supplying medicinal cannabis products and fewer (39.3%, 79/201) were confident discussing cannabis-related enquiries. More than half of the respondents (58.7%, 118/201) supported the provision of low-dose cannabidiol products through pharmacies. Two-thirds (67.8%, 80/118) of respondents achieved relatively low scores (< 60%) in the knowledge component of the survey. Most respondents (94.2%, 178/189) endorsed a need for further training in this area. Conclusion Australian pharmacists tended to support medicinal cannabis availability and improved access to low-dose cannabidiol products via pharmacies. However, results highlight a need for improved training and education of pharmacists around cannabis-based medicines.
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