For patients with asthma and COPD, the Service Apothecary Respiratory Advice (SARA) eHealth intervention may help decrease exacerbation rates and improve medication adherence, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. SARA was designed to improve patients’ correct use of inhalation medication by providing information and follow-up support by a pharmacist, according to Kyma Schnoor and colleagues. To investigate the impact of SARA on exacerbations and its effect on adherence to treatment, the researchers included data on medication dispensing from 382 pharmacies. By calculating the proportion of days covered from dispensed inhalation medication, drug adherence was evaluated between new and chronic users. Of 9,452 individuals,
of whom 25.39% were SARA participants, the findings showed an increase in mean exacerbation rates over time for both SARA and control groups. However, for SARA participants, this increase was considerably lower. Among
new users of inhalation medication, no notable difference was found in medication adherence between SARA participants and controls in the year after SARA implementation.
