AN ASSESSMENT OF ASTHMATIC-PATIENTS AT 4 WESTERN CAPE COMMUNITY PHARMACIES

Objectives. To identify the profile of asthmatic patients visiting com munity pharmacies and to assess the appropriateness of their current a sthma therapy, Design, Patients were identified as either chronic, new ly diagnosed or undiagnosed. Asthma status was assessed from their cur rent symptom and medication profiles and from performance in an airway s responsiveness test. Reversibility of > 15% was suggestive of probab le airflow obstruction and such patients were referred to a medical pr actitioner. Setting. Four community pharmacies located in different so cio-economic areas, viz, Khayelitsha, Wynberg, Mitchell's Plain and Vr ijzee, were selected, Subjects, Participants over the age of 6 years, who suffered from recurrent cough, wheeze, chest tightness and/or brea thlessness and used over-the-counter (OTC) and/or asthma medications, completed a questionnaire and participated in the airways responsivene ss test, Outcome measures. Effective control of asthma based on minima l symptoms, appropriate use of bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory th erapies and absence of airflow obstruction, Results. Of the 220 partic ipants, 120 were identified as chronic, 7 as newly diagnosed and 93 as undiagnosed, Chronic asthmatics suffered daily symptoms and used inad equate prophylactic anti-inflammatory therapy. Many undiagnosed asthma tics were unaware of their symptoms acid took OTC medication indiscrim inately. Based on peak expiratory flow rate measurements, > 50% of the screened patients displayed a reversibility of > 15%, Conclusions, Ch ronic and many undiagnosed asthmatic patients frequent community pharm acies for their medication. Such patients suffer recurrent asthma symp toms and use medication inappropriately, which results in suboptimal l ung function. Pharmacists should play a more participatory role in the detection and management of asthma in the community.