Services Database Free Steroid Inhaler Pilot Project (Isle of Wight Area)

The aim of this project is to drive up quality for patients through an annual asthma review with their GP Practice (Asthma Nurse Specialist) and subsequent management of their asthma on a regular basis through their community pharmacist.

The project is designed to improve quality of care for patients by enhancing the quality of the Annual Asthma Review with the Practice Nurse and through compliance; the patient enters into a contract to comply with an annual treatment plan in return for free prescriptions for steroid inhalers, provided they meet the eligibility criteria (adults aged 18+, diagnosed with asthma).

This project promotes essential integration in primary care between GPs and community pharmacies to manage patients with asthma in the community whilst ensuring patients attend an annual review with an Asthma Specialist Nurse and subsequent access to specialist advice through their local pharmacy.

This project forces the hands of the GP Practice and community pharmacy to jointly manage the patient, while also forcing the hand of the patient to engage with healthcare professionals.

Service outline:

1. The patient attends an asthma review and is issued their personalised asthma action plan (PAAP) which forms the basis of the contract between the patient and HCPs.
2. Patients will be required to sign up by completing a patient contract, and complying with the PAAP their Nurse gives them. This forms the basis of the ‘contract’.
3. The patient can then take this to their pharmacist who will undertake an ‘MUR Plus’ at regular intervals (3 times in total) throughout the 12 months of the cycle (for example: initial consultation and enrolment onto pharmacy database, between 3-5 months, 6-9 months and then again at 12 months).

Six inhaler technique training and educational sessions will be provided and rolled out across the Isle of Wight to upskill and inform healthcare professionals. These sessions will be run by John Bell: an Independent educator/trainer.

A pre-project training programme will also be coordinated and will involve asthma UK, Wessex AHSN, the CCG and provider trust. The programme will aim to inform clinicians and administrative staff from the chosen sites, along with the participating pharmacists of the project aims and key processes involved.