In brief

• Pharmacists may play a bigger role in educating patients with asthma and COPD, especially on correct inhaler technique.
• The planned pharmacy services pilot does not yet have a confirmed start date, budget, or funding rules.
• A pharmacist can teach inhaler use but does not replace a physician in diagnosis and treatment decisions.

Patient education as the main area

During the Senate debate, experts agreed that pharmacists could be better placed to teach patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) how to use an inhaler correctly (Eksperci w Senacie apelują o większą rolę farmaceutów w leczeniu chorób płuc — pracamedyka – pracamedyka.pl). According to participants in the discussion, many patients struggle with this task, which reduces the effectiveness of treatment.

What a pharmacist can and cannot do

However, they will not replace the physician in diagnosis or in making treatment decisions.

Pilot without a timeline or budget

The discussion included proposals for a pilot of pharmacy services, covering inhaler consultations and the "New Drug" service. However, no implementation date, budget, or funding rules have been given so far.

Statistics without full sources

During the debate, data on patient adherence and inhalation technique accuracy were cited. However, they were not accompanied by full information about their sources or methodology, so it is hard to treat them today as a reliable basis for decisions.

Reader questions

Can a pharmacist change the treatment? No. Their role is education and therapy monitoring, while treatment decisions remain with the physician. Is the service already running? No, the planned pilot has no confirmed start date.