Role of Pharmacist in Counseling of Asthmatic For better Drug Compliance .

The present scenario reveals that asthma is one of the prevailing disease. One may find at least one asthmatic in every family. It occurs at all ages but nearly 50% of cases develop it before the age of 10 years. In adults, both sexes are equally affected but in children there is 2:1 male female ratio. Due to rapid civilization and modernization lifestyle of each individual is changing and furthermore environmental factors have a great deal of impact on asthma.
No doubt, the multi-drug treatment is necessary for control of the disease, but it can be well managed by diet, physical exercise and stress management, rational utilization of drug and devices. In Indian pharmaceutical market, in every six month a new device is arriving with more accuracy but they are more complicated and along with new chemical moieties for supporting the drug therapy. It is important to educate the asthmatics for the proper and safe use of drugs and devices. Doctors give only verbal information in clinics about drugs and devices. But the pharmacist is the person who is available at every moment, can advise the patient for rational utilization of drugs and devices. He can counsel the asthmatics about the following aspects viz.
1) Diet, physical exercise/yoga importance.
2) Need of stress management and impact of addiction.
3) Safe use of drugs.
4) Educating the patient about the proper and safe use of devices such as rotahelars, nebulisers, spacers etc.
This can increase the patient compliance and awareness about the asthma.