The pharmacist's role in supporting people living with cystic fibrosis

Objectives: To describe the critical need for pharmacists' involvement in outpatient care for people living with cystic fibrosis (CF).

Data sources: Not applicable.

Summary: CF is a pulmonary condition that affects more than 30,000 children and adults in the United States and 70,000 people worldwide. Various complex medication regimens are given to patients with CF, some depending on the type of mutation they have in their CF transmembrane conductance regulator protein. With complex medication regimens and the increased number and variety of treatments that have become available, the medication use burden intensifies for individuals living with CF and their caregivers. Young people living with CF have a particularly difficult time adhering to medications and other therapies as they begin to rely less on their caregivers and assume greater medication management responsibility for their care. Adolescents report low adherence rates from about 40% to 47% for airway clearance methods and even lower for nutritional recommendations, about 16% to 20%. In inpatient settings, pharmacists have been successful in making medication use recommendations that have improved adherence for patients with CF while in the hospital. However, limited research has explored how provision of pharmacist supportive care and patient education in outpatient settings can improve medication adherence and quality of life for people living with CF.

Conclusion: There is potential for provision of outpatient pharmacy clinical services to increase medication adherence and overall quality of care for patients with CF. Higher rates of medication adherence in patients with CF could in turn improve patient outcomes and reduce overall health care costs as a result of fewer rehospitalizations. Pharmacies can implement programs designed to provide comprehensive support services and medication management from pharmacists and staff that are trained in CF care.