Improving asthma self-management education through inhaler labeling

• Published in: PEC innovation Vol. 5; p. 100330
• Main Authors: Dikranian, Lea C., Irish, D. Elizabeth, Shanley, Kathleen E., Walker, Don R., de Waal Malefyt, Stephen K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15.12.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Asthma; Asthma action plan; Asthma self-management; Full length article; Patient education; Pharmaceutical counseling; Pharmacy coalition; Pharmaceutical counseling; Asthma action plan; MTM; Asthma self-management; SABA; Asthma; AAP; CPAC; Patient education; NYSCEHC; PC; LABA; ICS; Pharmacy coalition; NAEPP; SMART; ED
• ISSN: 2772-6282; 2772-6282
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pecinn.2024.100330

Improper use and poor understanding of asthma medications can lead to poorly controlled asthma, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations for children with asthma. Pharmacists play a critical role in improving asthma medication adherence through education on asthma self-management. The use of color-coded labels applied at pharmacies to help patients differentiate between rescue and maintenance inhalers has not been explored. Pharmacies were recruited to join a community pharmacy asthma coalition. Pharmacists provided patient education and labeled inhalers with two types of color-coded stickers. A red sticker labeled “RESCUE” was used for short-acting β-2 agonist medication inhalers. A green sticker labeled “USE EVERY DAY” was used for inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) or combination ICS/long-acting β-2 agonist medication inhalers. During the two years of the pilot program, 25 pharmacy locations participated. Pharmacies labeled over 6000 rescue and 9000 controller medications using color-coded labels. Over 1000 children and 7000 adults were served by the coalition. Color-coded asthma medication labels can be successfully utilized by pharmacies. This low-cost tool provides vital information regarding the proper use of asthma medications. The color-coded labeling of asthma medications is a novel innovation that can be successfully used by pharmacists to improve asthma self-management education. •Community pharmacy asthma coalitions can promote asthma self-management education.•Color-coded labeling of inhalers by pharmacists is a novel technique in asthma care.•Color-coded asthma medication labels can be successfully utilized by pharmacies.