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Community pharmacists have the expertise to help patients manage their chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the community but there is no evidence that such a service is cost effective.
A total of 34 Wirral community pharmacies provided COPD support and advice to 137 patients. The patients’ COPD assessment test results improved after six months and the service saved the NHS an average £87.66 per patient. This increased to £94.12 when days off work and lost productivity were taken into account.
The results of the study, published in the International Journal of Pharmacy Practice
[1]
(online, 20 November 2014), suggest that a community pharmacy COPD service improves the way patients take their medicines and is cost effective for the NHS.
