title: A pharmacy asthma service achieves a change in patient responses from increased awareness to taking responsibility for their asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  If novel health services are to be implemented and sustained in practice, the perceptions and views of patients form a critical part of their evaluation. The aims of this study were to explore patient's perceptions and experiences with a pharmacy asthma service and to investigate if there was a change over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews and focus groups were conducted with patients participating in the asthma service at three time points. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed using a framework approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The service led to an enhanced awareness and understanding of asthma, changes in participants' beliefs and attitudes towards asthma management, changes in asthma-related health behaviours and improved self-efficacy. Participants were very positive about the service and the role of the pharmacist in asthma management. There was a shift in participant perceptions and views, from being at an abstract level in those who had completed just one visit of the service to a more experiential level in those who had experienced the entire comprehensive asthma service.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A sustained experience/multiple visits in a service may lead to more concrete changes in patient perceptions of severity, beliefs, health behaviours and enhanced self-efficacy and control. The study highlights a need for such asthma services in the community.
authors.affiliation: The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Pradnya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Naik-Panvelkar
authors.forename: Bandana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saini
authors.forename: Kate S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: LeMay
authors.forename: Lynne M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Emmerton
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: Sinthia Z
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Bosnic-Anticevich
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Krass
authors.forename: Lorraine D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Carol L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Armour
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001364:Awareness; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003469:Culture; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D010595:Pharmacists; D024382:Professional Role
keywords: asthma; community pharmacy; delivery of care; patient satisfaction; primary care