Services Database Inhaler Technique Project (Nottingham City CCG Area)

The Inhaler Technique (IT) Project was a two year project launched in Nottingham City CCG in May 2013. The aim of the project was to ensure all relevant healthcare professionals were trained and able to use an inhaler correctly in order to be able to train patients on how to use the device they had been prescribed. 

This project has successfully delivered Inhaler Technique training to a large number of healthcare professionals in Nottingham City and has introduced resources and tools to enable on-going training.

The aims of the project were to:

• work with all stakeholder healthcare professional providers to implement a collaborative approach to improve patients inhaler technique;
• improve patient’s asthma control and demonstrate a reduction in respiratory exacerbations causing admissions and utilisation of healthcare resources;
• reduce the cost of prescribed respiratory medication; and 
• demonstrate patient awareness of the existence of self-referral to access training on inhaler technique.

This was not a commissioned service. 

Three training events were organised and were attended by 68 pharmacists and their staff from 44 of the 65 community pharmacies in Nottingham City.  The clinical training was provided by Anna Murphy, Consultant Respiratory Pharmacist from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, and covered an overview of respiratory disease in Nottingham City, brief intervention for respiratory disease patients, review of respiratory disease and targeted MURs.