title: [Effectiveness of pharmaceutical care for patients with COPD: translated review of the recently published PHARMACOP trial].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Few well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCT) regarding the impact of community pharmacist interventions on pharmacotherapeutic monitoring of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [COPD) have been conducted. We assessed the effectiveness of a pharmaceutical care program for patients with COPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  The PHARMACOP-trial was a single-blind 3-month RCT, conducted in 170 community pharmacies in Belgium, enrolling patients prescribed daily COPD medication, aged > or = 50 years, and with a smoking history > or = 10 pack-years. A computer-generated randomization sequence allocated patients to intervention (n = 371), receiving protocol-defined pharmacist care, or control group (n = 363), receiving usual pharmacist care 11:1 ratio, stratified by center). Interventions, focusing on inhalation technique and adherence to maintenance therapy, were carried out at start of the trial and at one month follow-up. Primary outcomes were inhalation technique and medication adherence. Secondary outcomes were exacerbation rate, dyspnea, COPD specific and generic health status and smoking behavior.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From December 2010 to April 2011, 734 patients were enrolled. 42 patients (5.7%) were lost to follow-up. At the end of the trial, inhalation score (Mean estimated difference [delta], 13.5%; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 10.8-16.1; P < .0001] and medication adherence [(delta, 8.51%; 95% CI, 4.63-12.4; P < .0001) were significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group. In the intervention group, a significantly lower hospitalization rate was observed (9 vs 35 hospitalizations; Rate Ratio, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.12-0.64; P = .003). No other significant between-group differences were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PHARMACOP-trial demonstrates that pragmatic pharmacist care programs improve both inhalation technique and medication adherence in patients with COPD and could reduce hospitalization rates. The protocolled intervention used in this trial was specifically designed for and evaluated in (Belgian) community pharmacies. This may facilitate future implementation in the Belgian context.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tommelein
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mehuys
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Van Hees
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Adriaens
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Bortel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Christiaens
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Van Tongelen
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Remon
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boussery
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brusselle
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010594:Pharmacies; D010595:Pharmacists; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects