Respiratory Academy – summary of the training provided from Uma Bhatt

I am a practice clinical pharmacist and part of work includes running an asthma clinic for annual asthma reviews, patients requiring a follow up post-acute asthma exacerbation and identifying …

patients whose asthma diagnosis is not clear. The sessions provided by the Morph respiratory academy dealt with all of the key elements that are necessary to conduct a good asthma review that includes confirming correct diagnosis, taking a full history, checking inhaler technique, triggers, compliance, appropriate inhaled therapy, and appraising key evidence in ensuring patients with asthma receive clinically appropriate care that is right for them and is safe.

What I found most useful was the application of knowledge from the modules to the case studies. This practical aspect of application was then useful in reviewing ‘real’ patients in my clinic with confidence and to know when to ask for support from the clinicians at the practice.

The respiratory academy had invited excellent speakers, esp. expert pharmacists and their knowledge, experience in delivering the training helped our practice to improve asthma care. So we have now reviewed all our patients on more than 3 Short Acting Beta Agonists( SABA) inhalers a year, and are in process of reviewing all patients on high dose Inhaled Corticosteroid(ICS) inhalers. We have also ordered steroid cards and giving them to the patients where appropriate, training was arranged for all the clinicians in inhaler technique with the help of Darush as well as tips on smoking cessation.

At our next training session in January 2023, I am planning a training with the clinicians on diagnosis, takin a detailed history and stepping up and down asthma treatment in line with national/local guidelines.

I would recommend this training for anyone who is either delivering asthma care or is planning to as there is so much to learn.