When patients have to deal with a long trip to the nearest pharmacy, management of their asthma could suffer, according to a new study published in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy.
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In an assessment of the asthma medication history and residential zip codes of 519 patients to visit Southern Illinois University primary care clinics throughout 2014, investigators found disparities in extent of management dependent on their location. The finding is of particular note to regions including the observed Springfield, IL, where the rate of asthma among adults (10.3%) is greater than both the state (9.1%) and national (8.3%) averages, study coauthor Miathili Deshpande, PhD, said.
Deshpande, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, noted that due to the notable burden of asthma in Springfield, the investigators found it important to “understand how management of asthma varies by geography and if proximity of healthcare services contribute to poor management.”
