Increased Effectiveness of Inhalation Therapy by Pharmacist Intervention among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Although pharmacists explain the use of inhalation therapy to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), few reports have examined the effectiveness of treatment and adherence levels. The present study investigated the impact of confirmed inhalant use, and explanation of medication use by the pharmacist, on the effectiveness of drugs and the level of understanding of drug usage in patients with COPD. For the five patients included, pre-intervention was defined as the time of signing the informed consent form, and post-intervention was defined as the time of the next consultation at approximately 35 days. The following items were compared pre-and post-intervention: lung function and symptomatic evaluation, and a questionnaire to determine the patient＇s level of understanding of the disease and medication. Furthermore, each patient demonstrated use of the inhalant to confirm that drugs were administered correctly. Because COPD is an inflammatory disorder, which is characterized by high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), the effect of inhalation therapy on blood levels of highsensitivity CRP (hsCRP) and the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) was measured. After pharmacist intervention, use of COPD therapy was enhanced, and patients had a better understanding of drug usage. Vital capacity and forced vital capacity were significantly increased, while HsCRP and IL-6 levels were significantly decreased. Pharmacist intervention to optimize drug usage was associated with better lung function in patients with COPD. The involvement of the pharmacist/pharmacist intervention is considered to be highly important for optimal treatment use, and, consequently, the quality of life of patients.