CPF FUNDED GRANT DETAILS

The goal of this study is to determine if performing fraction of exhaled nitric oxide, FeNO, testing in a community pharmacy and communicating the results to a health care provider influences decisions to change therapy in patients with asthma. FeNO is a novel measurement of airway inflammation that uses a handheld device which reports findings within minutes. FeNO measurements will provide community pharmacists with an objective measure to assess the patients asthma control and to include in the medication therapy recommendations to the health care provider. Our objectives for this study are to: 1.Measure the impact of FeNO results on health care providers decision to change prescription therapy for patients with asthma. 2.Compare pharmacist-initiated recommendations to adjust prescribed therapy based on FeNO results against the decisions made by the patients health care provider. 3.Compare decisions made by the patients health care provider based on pharmacist-provided information to an expert panel to determine if inclusion of the FeNO result should have influenced a change to the patients prescribed therapy. 4.Demonstrate the value of FeNO measurements taken at the community pharmacy to improve asthma management and encourage health plans to change billing rules to allow pharmacists to be reimbursed for FeNO testing.