Can Pharmacists’ Counseling Improve the Use of Inhalers and Quality of Life? A Prospective “Pre” and “Post” Education Analysis in Mardan, Pakistan

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographic Characteristic of Included Patients

	Category	Total N (%)	Control Group N (%)	Pharmacist-Led Education Group N (%)
Gender	Male	25 (41.7)	12 (48)	13 (52)
	Female	35 (58.3)	18 (51.4)	17 (48.6)
Age	18–25 years	4 (6.7)	2 (50)	2 (50)
	26–35 years	9 (15)	6 (66.7)	3 (33.3)
	36–45 years	15 (25)	6 (40)	9 (60)
	46–55 years	17 (28.3)	9 (52.9)	8 (47.1)
	56 and above	15 (25)	7 (46.7)	8 (53.3)
Education status	Uneducated	30 (50)	14 (46.7)	16 (53.3)
	Primary	12 (20)	6 (50)	6 (50)
	Higher secondary	7 (11.7)	4 (57.1)	3 (42.9)
	Bachelors	9 (15)	5 (55.6)	4 (44.4)
	Postgraduate	2 (3.3)	1 (50)	1 (50)
Weight in kilograms (kg)	Less than 50 kg	5 (8.3)	0 (0)	5 (100)
	51–60 kg	31 (51.7)	19 (61.3)	12 (38.7)
	61–70 kg	16 (26.7)	7 (43.8)	9 (56.3)
	71–80 kg	8 (13.3)	4 (50)	4 (50)
Employment status	House wife/ stay at home	25 (41.7)	12 (48)	13 (52)
	Student	4 (6.7)	2 (50)	2 (50)
	Private job	21 (35)	7 (33.3)	14 (66.7)
	Gov. Job	8 (13.3)	8 (100)	0 (0)
	Business man	2 (3.3)	1 (50)	1 (50)
Marital status	Single	2 (3.3)	0 (0)	2 (100)
	Married	48 (88)	24 (50)	24 (50)
	Widow/Divorced	10 (16.7)	6 (60)	4 (40)
Financial status	10,000–20,000 PKR	13 (21.7)	6 (46.2)	7 (53.8)
	20,000–30,000 PKR	27 (45)	14 (51.9)	13 (48.1)
	30,000–40,000 PKR	7 (11.7)	3 (42.9)	4 (57.1)
	40,000–50,000 PKR	10 (16.7)	6 (60)	4 (40)
	More than 50,000 PKR	3 (5)	1 (33.3)	2 (66.7)
Severity of asthma	Persistent-Mild	13 (21.7)	6 (46.2)	7 (53.8)
	Persistent-Moderate	35 (58.3)	16 (45.7)	19 (54.3)
	Persistent-Severe	12 (20)	8 (66.7)	4 (33.3)

Abbreviation: PKR, Pakistani Rupee.

Table 2 Pre and Post Comparison of Quality of Life Score in Both Groups

	Pre		Post		P-value
	Mean	SD	Mean	SD
Control group	54.00	12.05	55.03	10.12	0.093
Pharmacist-led education group	40.23	10.03	48.10	5.68	<0.001*

Note: Pair t-test was used; *Shows statistically significant less than 0.05.

Abbreviation: SD, Standard deviation.

Table 3 Pre and Post Comparison for the Mean Score of MDI and DPI in Both Groups

Mean Score of MDI Before and After Pharmacist-Led Education
	Control Group			Pharmacist-Led Group
	Mean	SD	p-value	Mean	SD	p-value
Pre	4.78	0.83	0.169	4.65	0.70	0.003*
Post	5.00	0.71		5.65	1.54
Mean Score of DPI Before and After Pharmacist-Led Education
	Mean	SD	p-value	Mean	SD	p-value
Pre	5.43	1.03	0.162	6.00	1.00	0.002*
Post	5.52	0.98		6.85	1.07

Note: Pair t-test was used; *Shows statistically significant less than 0.05.

Abbreviations: MDI, Metered Dose Inhaler; DPI, Dry Powder Inhaler; SD, Standard deviation.

Table 4 Pre and Post Comparison for Adherence to Inhaler Use in Both Groups

Adherence (Items 1–10 TAI)	Control Group					Pharmacist-Led Education Group
	Pre		Post		p-value	Pre		Post		p-value
	n (%)	Mean ± SD	n (%)	Mean ± SD		n (%)	Mean ± SD	n (%)	Mean ± SD
Poor adherence (≤45)	19 (63.3)	43.03 ± 4.73	18 (60.0)	43.2 ± 4.70	0.202	19 (63.3)	43.10 ± 4.94	11 (36.7)	44.73 ± 4.62	0.003*
Intermediate adherence (46–49)	10 (33.3)		11 (36.7)			9 (30.0)		15 (50.0)
Good adherence (50)	1 (3.3)		1 (3.3)			2 (6.7)		4 (13.3)

Note: Pair t-test was used; *Shows statistically significant less than 0.05.

Abbreviations: TAI, Test of Adherence to Inhalers; SD, Standard deviation.