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Pharmaceutical care in asthma or COPD

Asthma
Guidance COPD Contracted care Therapy adherence Care Street

Pharmaceutical care with asthma or COPD

As a pharmacy, we want to help you if you have asthma or COPD. We offer special asthma/COPD counseling. The goal is to stay symptom-free and prevent further deterioration and lung attacks. We achieve this by giving you proper guidance in taking your asthma or COPD medication. Inhaling medication can be difficult: 70% of patients make one or more mistakes when inhaling. Because of these mistakes, the medication may not get to where it is supposed to work properly. That's why the pharmacy has made arrangements with health insurance companies to guide you in the proper use of your asthma or COPD medications. These "special" care treatments are reimbursed by org & Zekerheid, ONVZ, CZ, Menzis, Salland and Zilveren Kruis.

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What does this mean for you?

If you find it difficult to take your medication regularly or often suffer from exacerbated shortness of breath symptoms, you can participate in the 'Care Street asthma/COPD'. What does this involve? The Care Street asthma/COPD offers extra guidance on the correct use of your inhalation medication, so that you as a patient can better control your symptoms. The pharmacy keeps track of whether you take the medication correctly and at the agreed times, so that the medication can work optimally. In addition, the pharmacy checks the type of medication and whether any problems have arisen during use. For asthma and COPD patients, we also monitor adherence, which is crucial for effective treatment of these conditions.

What can you expect?

The asthma/COPD program (called care street) consists of two parts.

  1. You automatically get videos with inhalation instructions.
  2. You will receive guidance on your chronic asthma/COPD.

    3. Before you receive the first email from the Care Street, you will receive an introductory email. In this mail we briefly explain why the Care Street is important and how it works. You can also unsubscribe from the Care Street emails in this mail if you wish (opt-out). By the way, you can always unsubscribe via the unsubscribe button at the bottom of every email you receive from us.

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Are you a first-time user of inhaler medication?

If you are just starting with inhaler medication, you will automatically receive an e-mail with an instructional video about two days after the first and second dispensing. In this video you will find advice and instructions on how to use inhalers.

You will receive the emails automatically. The subject of the e-mail with the instruction video is: Information on medication use from your pharmacy.

During the conversation in the pharmacy, we tell you that you will receive an e-mail with an instruction video within a few days, if we have your e-mail address.

Do you use inhalation medication chronically?

Do you use inhalation medication on a long-term basis? The pharmacy may invite you for an asthma/COPD consultation if needed. During this consultation, we check that you are using your inhalation medications correctly and repeat instructions as needed. We also check whether you manage to take your medication at the agreed upon times and whether you are still experiencing symptoms or problems. In addition, we make sure that your medication is properly adjusted and check your compliance. If necessary, we review all your medications to make sure everything is working properly. Here we follow five steps.

  1. Step 1: Selection of patients

    Have you picked up medication at least three times in the past 12 months and taken it for at least 90 days? Then we check for compliance and complaints. If you pick up less than 80% of your medication or have had frequent complaints (at least once for asthma, twice for COPD), you qualify for extra guidance. This is called the "asthma/COPD consultation."

  2. Step 2: Invitation to the consultation

    You will receive an invitation to an asthma/COPD consultation via e-mail. This e-mail comes from [email protected]and contains information about asthma/COPD and the use of inhaled medications. The email also contains a link to a questionnaire about your medication use and symptoms.

  3. Step 3: Fill out the questionnaire

    Three days after the first email, you will receive another email with an invitation for an inhalation check. In this check we will see if you are taking your medication correctly and give tips on how to use your medication as well as possible. You can make an appointment with us yourself or we will contact you. It is important that you complete the questionnaire in preparation for the consultation. This helps both you and us to be well prepared.

  4. Step 4: Preparing for the consultation

    When you have completed the questionnaire, your name will appear in our system under 'Care street asthma/COPD'. We then review your data and any outstanding actions needed for your asthma/COPD. The answers to your questionnaire are also reviewed and printed in preparation for the consultation.

  5. Step 5: The Asthma/COPD Consultation

    During the consultation, which lasts about 20 minutes, we measure whether you are inhaling your medications with the correct force. We also discuss your compliance, inhalation technique, the type of inhaler you are using and other open actions. This conversation is conducted by our pharmacist or a specialized assistant and ten standard questions are run through to discuss everything properly.

  6. Step 6: Advice and Interventions

    After the consultation, you will receive advice that complies with the "Guiding Principles Proper Use of Inhaled Medication. This means that together we look for the best inhaler for you, ensure uniformity in your inhaler devices and give instructions according to the protocols of www.inhalatorgebruik.nl. If you use multiple inhalers, we choose to use a combination inhaler whenever possible.

We can make additional appointments in consultation with pulmonary nurses, the primary care physician and other health care providers to best assist you with your asthma/COPD.

Who are you getting emails from?

E-mails with instructional videos and messages will be sent to you via an alias e-mail address: [email protected]. If you press the reply button to reply, we will use the e-mail address you provided at the beginning of the care street. You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe button at the bottom of every email we send.

Privacy and Consent

Your information, such as name, address, place of residence, BSN and insurance number are securely stored in our data warehouse, which is called Nexus. This includes your e-mail address, which is only available to our pharmacy. The messages we send are anonymous and contain no personal information.

Don't join the Care Street?

Whether or not you join the Care Street, you will always get the best care from us! What can you expect from us as standard?

  1. Personal advice and guidance

    We discuss together how important it is to use your inhalation medication daily. We will give you practical tips to keep it up. In fact, research shows that only 50% of patients use their medication correctly and consistently. This can lead to more symptoms and hospitalizations!

  2. Medication review and instruction

    We will check that you are using your inhalers correctly and give you additional training if necessary. This is because many patients do not use their inhalers properly, which makes treatment less effective. Correct use can reduce symptoms (exacerbations and hospital visits) by as much as 30%.This is evidenced by these studies, among others:Frontiers BioMed Central.

  3. Manage exacerbations

    Do you often suffer from exacerbations (exacerbations)? Then we'll look at your treatment plan together. We give you advice on how to recognize early symptoms and what to do next. Good guidance can reduce the number of exacerbations and improve your overall health.

  4. Therapy adherence monitoring

    We keep track of whether you pick up your medication on time. If we notice that this is not happening, we will contact you to address problems early. After all, it's important to take your medication regularly to keep your asthma or COPD under control.

With this support, we hope to improve your health and make your life easier. Do you have questions or want to make an appointment? Then contact us!

When may the pharmacy declare 'this act'?

This service may be declared when the six steps described above have been completed.

Want to know more about this topic?

Do you want more information about farmaceutical care in asthma/COPD? Then consult the following resources:

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