Community Pharmacists’ Level of Knowledge, Attitude, and Patient Counseling Among COPD Patients and the Use of Inhaler Devices

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is part of a group of chronic inflammatory diseases that are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and also prove to be an economic burden. The prevalence of COPD is mostly related to smoking. Thus, smoking cessation is the most effective option in the prevention and treatment of the disease. Community pharmacists are the ones in charge of delivering the best services in terms of inhalation technique, counseling, and medication adherence. Counseling, which plays a main role in the management of COPD, is an essential prerequisite for achieving full therapeutic effect in patients. The purpose of this study is to research the extent of knowledge, attitude, and patient counseling exhibited by community pharmacists towards COPD patients and to understand the use of inhaler devices by evaluating the level of awareness pharmacists have about it. In February 2019, a questionnaire for assessment of knowledge of COPD was distributed among Palestinian pharmacists (n=300).