A qualitative study exploring pharmacists’ perspectives about asthma treatment in primary care centres in Kuwait
Authors: Taqi A , Rathbone A 
Published: November 2022

Abstract

Introduction
Asthma is a respiratory disease caused by chronic airway inflammation in the lungs that constricts the airway and increases mucus production.1 Asthma is considered the most common chronic disease of people living in Kuwait.2 Pharmacists can play key roles to support optimal health outcomes for patients with asthma. However, there is limited evidence describing pharmacists’ experiences of asthma treatment in primary care centres in Kuwait.

Aim
To explore pharmacists’ perspectives about asthma treatment in primary care centers in Kuwait.

Methods
Pharmacists were recruited via convenience sampling and passive snowballing techniques. Qualitative, online semi-structured, interviews were conducted via Zoom. The topic guide consisted of several sections that included demographic characteristics, pharmacists’ role in asthma management, their experiences with asthma patients, significant barriers for pharmacists to provide optimal asthma services, their relationship and collaboration with other healthcare professionals, and finally suggestions for an ideal asthma management service. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed utilizing NVivo® 11 software. Data were inductively analysed to identify themes using the Braun and Clarke framework. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ministry of health in Kuwait.

Results
Fifteen interviews with pharmacists were conducted. The sample consisted of more females (n=13) than males (n=2). Most pharmacists had work experience of five-ten years as pharmacists in primary care centres (n=9). Also, most of them worked in primary care centres located in Al-Asema (the capital) district (n=7). Emergent themes from the interviews were: pharmacist’s role in asthma care, factors hindering them from providing optimal asthma care and facilitators to deliver optimal asthma care. Pharmacists described their roles as dispensing medications prescribed by doctors and demonstrating inhalation techniques for first-time users of inhalers. Pharmacists reported limited authority to alter asthma treatment. However, they showed interests to expand their role in asthma care. Most pharmacists reported that physicians had the most significant role in asthma management and patients trusted physicians more than pharmacists to manage their asthma. Many factors influenced pharmacists’ involvement in asthma services, including time, consultation room space, low levels of knowledge and patients’ and physicians’ attitudes towards pharmacists. Additionally, poor access to patients’ medical and health information and the absence of job descriptions for pharmacists in Kuwait were considered barriers to delivering asthma care services. Interprofessional collaboration, task delegation, role clarification and additional training were reported as needed to deliver asthma care services in primary care centers.

Discussion/Conclusion
There is potential for pharmacists to contribute to asthma care services in Kuwait. However poor access to information about patients and the absence of job descriptions for pharmacists in Kuwait may limit pharmacists’ involvement in asthma services. A limitation of this study is that pharmacists were mostly from the capital so findings may not be applicable to the whole of Kuwait.

References
1. WHO. Asthma. 2022 [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asthma [Accessed 8 March 2021].
2. Abul, A. T., Nair, P. C., Behbehanei, N. A. Sharma, P. N. Hospital admissions and death rates from asthma in Kuwait during pre- and post-Gulf War periods. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol, 2001;86:465-8.