Table 1.
Characteristics of the respondents, study pharmacies, and target population (n=263)
| Variable | n (%) | Target population %a |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Female | 242 (92) | 91.5 |
| Male | 21 (8) | 8.5 |
| Year of birth | ||
| 1948–1959 | 26 (10) | NA |
| 1960–1969 | 87 (33) | NA |
| 1970–1979 | 82 (31) | NA |
| 1980–1989 | 55 (21) | NA |
| 1990– | 13 (5) | NA |
| Education | ||
| BSc (Pharm) | 220 (84) | 83 |
| MSc (Pharm) | 43 (16) | 17 |
| Asthma pharmacist | ||
| Yes | 196 (75) | NA |
| No | 67 (25) | NA |
| Working years as a pharmacist | ||
| <10 | 60 (23) | NA |
| 10–19 | 83 (32) | NA |
| 20–29 | 84 (32) | NA |
| >30 | 36 (14) | NA |
| Frequency of COPD medication counseling | ||
| Less than once a week | 13 (5) | NA |
| Once a week | 29 (11) | NA |
| Several times a week, not daily | 86 (33) | NA |
| Once a day | 69 (26) | NA |
| Several times daily | 66 (25) | NA |
| Size of the pharmacy (prescriptions per year) | ||
| <20,000 | 14 (5) | 16.5 |
| 20,001–40,000 | 45 (17) | 24 |
| 40,001–60,000 | 50 (19) | 14.5 |
| 60,001–80 000 | 33 (13) | 11 |
| 80,001–100,000 | 40 (15) | 10.5 |
| 100,000–120,000 | 39 (15) | 8.5 |
| 120,001–140,000 | 19 (7) | 5.5 |
| >140,000 | 23 (9) | 8.5 |
| Professional services and clinical tests provided by the pharmacy | ||
| Simple medication review | 139 (53) | NA |
| Inhalation technique assessment service | 60 (23) | NA |
| Comprehensive medication review (cross-professional) | 52 (20) | NA |
| PEF measurements performed | 53 (20) | NA |
| Microspirometries performed | 44 (17) | NA |
| Asthma service | 37 (14) | NA |
| Smoking cessation service | 29 (11) | NA |
| Diabetes service | 21 (8) | NA |
| Asthma tests performed | 156 (59) | NA |
| COPD assessment tests performed | 56 (21) | NA |
Note:
a
Information received from the Association of Finnish Pharmacies, May 15, 2017.
Abbreviations: NA, information not available; PEF, peak expiratory flow.