Community Pharmacy: Normalization Possible for Mobile Health Asthma Intervention

A mobile health intervention for adolescents with asthma has the potential for normalization in community pharmacy practice, but the process would require changes at numerous levels, according to a study published online in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy.

“Effective mobile health interventions have been developed to support patients with their medication use, however to date few are widely used in pharmacy practice,” researchers wrote. “Normalization of an intervention is essential to have a population impact, which is defined as ‘the process of getting a new intervention into routine practice.’”

Researchers retrospectively applied a sociological action theory called the Normalization Process Theory to the mobile health ADolescent Adherence Patient Tool (ADAPT) intervention. The study included interviews and questionnaires completed by 23 pharmacists in community pharmacy practice who used the ADAPT intervention.

“Pharmacists understood the purpose of the ADAPT intervention and were prepared to undertake the necessary work of implementation,” researchers reported. “However, changes at different levels are needed to support full normalization, such as changes in the intervention itself and changes in the pharmacist's workflow.”

Additionally, product champions, appropriate reimbursement guidelines, and support from professional bodies could also boost normalization and uptake of the ADAPT intervention by other pharmacists, according to the study.

—Jolynn Tumolo

Reference

Kosse RC, Murray E, Bouvy ML, de Vries TW, Stevenson F, Koster ES. Potential normalization of an asthma mHealth intervention in community pharmacies: applying a theory-based framework. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. 2019 May 14;[Epub ahead of print].