Innovative COPD pharmacy clinic recognised
A community pharmacist-led clinic, where patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) undergo spirometry testing and have their drug treatment optimised, has won the United Kingdom Clinical Pharmacy Association's Boehringer Ingelheim Respiratory Award 2006.
The clinic, run by Valerie Sillito, a supplementary prescribing pharmacist
at Boots The Chemists, Aberdeen, treats patients diagnosed with COPD
and smokers over 40 years with asthma who have been referred to the clinic
by their GP.
One year on, five pharmacists are now involved in the clinic. Of the
44 patients tested, 12 had their treatment changed (in accordance with
their clinical management plan), 16 required advice on inhaler technique,
15 were provided with nicotine replacement therapy, 11 showed signs of
obstruction and had their diagnosis changed from asthma to COPD, and
seven had no significant obstruction and had the diagnosis of COPD removed
from their record.
Funding for the clinic is provided by the Scottish Executive.
Ms Sillito said that the initiative has been well received by health
care professionals and patients. “The public will get more used
to going to a pharmacy for chronic disease management,” she added.
Ms Sillito received the award at the UKCPA’s autumn symposium held
in Leicestershire last weekend.
Other award winning projects were those presented by Rob Shulman, University
College Hospital, London (Lilly UK Critical Care Award), Catherine McKenzie,
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London (GlaxoSmithKline
Advanced Practitioner Award), Timothy Hill, Nottingham University Hospitals
NHS Trust (Novartis Antimicrobial Management Award), Peter Clarke, East
Cheshire NHS Trust, (Pfizer Best Preregistration Trainee Poster Award),
Georgina Boon, King’s College Hospital, London, (Hameln Best First-time
Presenter Award) and Lucy Philpott, Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust (Hameln
Best Poster Award). |
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