Examining Pharmacists’ Knowledge, Skills and Self-efficacy when Counseling the Patient with Respiratory Disease

Abstract

Objectives. Inadequate counseling may lead to poor adherence in patients with respiratory disease. This study was designed to examine the impact of a professional development program on pharmacist’s knowledge, skills and self-efficacy to provide inhaler counseling. Methods. Pharmacists participated in a live day long professional development activity consisting of morning lectures and an afternoon hands-on training session. Primary outcome measures included pre- and post-video critiques assessing the participant’s knowledge, skills and self-efficacy with aspects of providing counseling to patients with respiratory conditions. Results. Pharmacist knowledge, self-efficacy and perceived ability to counsel patients in the proper techniques for inhaler use significantly improved after the activity, suggesting value in using a combination of teaching strategies. Conclusions. This program improved pharmacists’ knowledge, skills and self-efficacy to counsel patients on inhaler use, with pharmacists indicating their commitment to make changes to their methods of counseling. Practice Implications. A combination of teaching strategies for continuing professional development can lead to improved pharmacist knowledge, skills and self-efficacy, with pharmacists committed to improving their patient counseling techniques. Improvements in patient counseling will result in better adherence rates in their patients, thus leading to improved health care outcomes.