PHARMACIST LEAD PATIENT COUNSELLING: IMPACT ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN ASTHMA PATIENTS

Abstract

Safe and effective drug therapy depends on patients being well informed about their medication. The proper use of drugs and patient education are vital for asthma management. Increasing patient’s knowl-edge about their asthma therapy is a necessary component of asthma management. This study was carried out to assess the patient counseling impact on quality of life (QOL) in asthma patients using SF 36questionnaire. In this study a total of hundred patients diagnosed with asthma were enrolled by considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Out of this, 50 (50%) patients were in intervention and 50 (50%) patients in the control group. As per our study it was found that the predominant risk factor for Asthma was fumes and smoking was found to be the major risk factor in males. After patient counseling intervention group showed improvement in QOL from the baseline to1st and 2nd follow-ups. But control group doesn’t show significant improvement in the QOL from the baseline to 1st and 2nd follow-ups. Physical activity and daily activity was also found to be increased during second follow-up in intervention group than in control group. Our study concluded that continuous education programs and counseling should be conducted for chronic diseases to emphasize and re-emphasize the importance of Quality of Life, to prevent recurrences, reduce progression of disease and ultimately minimize the hospitalization and there is a need of continuous pharmaceutical care services/ monitoring to improve the better quality of life.