Educational tools to assist patients with asthma
Asthma Right Care – Asthma Slide Rule
This was designed to assist patients who may be over-reliant on SABAs and not fully comprehend the seriousness of keeping inflammation down with regular ICS use. Pharmacies can order hard copies and it is available at pcrs-uk.org/resource/asthma-slide-rule.
Already widely used, this app can assist inhaler technique and medicines management during MURs, for example. Also very good at giving an idea of ICS potencies.
Diagrams and videos
A MUR/NMS is a good opportunity to ask patients what they know about asthma. Aids to assist the discussion include diagrams, airway models or videos (for example – see the nhs.uk YouTube channel for a selection of instructional videos and animations).
Conclusion
Asthma continues to cause many preventable deaths in the UK. Community pharmacy teams can make a difference by spotting over-reliance on short acting beta-agonists (SABAs), continuing to motivate patients to use their inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) correctly, and using Asthma Right Care tools and the RightBreathe app in everyday practice.
References
- The Primary Care Respiratory Society
- The Primary Care Respiratory Society
- The Primary Care Respiratory Society
- Asthma UK
Reflection exercise 2
The NHS Long Term Plan identifies respiratory disease as a priority,
and singles out asthma and SABA over-reliance as a problem area.
- Who are the stakeholders involved in local implementation of
policies to address these priorities? - How could working with these stakeholders help your patients?
- What could your pharmacy do in addition to what you are already
doing in the area of asthma care?