Innovative asthma health promotion by rural community pharmacists: a feasibility study.
OBJECTIVE
Asthma awareness in a rural community and the involvement of the community pharmacist in proactive health promotion.


METHODS
Between September 2002 and May 2003, seven community pharmacists from Orange, a rural town in New South Wales, were trained to provide two asthma outreach programs: one targeting adolescents in high schools (Year 11 students) using Triple A training; and a public forum on asthma for the wider community.


RESULTS
There was a significant increase in the mean asthma knowledge scores of Year 11 students in each high school after Triple A training. From the multivariate analysis, although there was a significant increase in mean asthma knowledge scores over time (F=101.09, df=1, p<0.001), there were no differences between high schools (F=2.79, df=2, p>0.05). There was a significant increase in the proportion of asthma-related pharmacy visits involving requests for information on asthma and on asthma devices at the four different time points.


CONCLUSIONS
The study provided a unique opportunity for community pharmacists to increase asthma awareness in a rural setting. The study demonstrated that it is feasible for rural community pharmacists to become involved in proactive health promotion and effectively provide asthma outreach programs.
Kritikos
Vicky
V
Pharmacy Practice Research, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, New South Wales. vicky@pharm.usyd.edu.au
Saini
Bandana
B
Bosnic-Anticevich
Sinthia Z
SZ
Krass
Ines
I
Shah
Smita
S
Taylor
Susan
S
Armour
Carol
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*