Community Pharmacists Boost Asthma and Allergy Care

Community pharmacists are emerging as critical frontline providers for patients with asthma and allergies, leveraging their accessibility, medication expertise, and ongoing contact with patients to improve care and lower costs. In this interview, Amanda Blevins, PharmD, pharmacy manager at Food City Stores, explains that pharmacists are often the first health care professionals patients consult when their symptoms begin or worsen. Because pharmacists can review both prescription and refill histories, they are uniquely positioned to spot patterns of underuse or overuse—such as reliance on rescue inhalers—and intervene before conditions escalate.

Beyond clinical insight, community pharmacists also play a key role in helping patients navigate the financial side of care. By recommending generics, over-the-counter alternatives, discount programs, and manufacturer coupons, they can reduce out-of-pocket costs and potentially prevent unnecessary physician or emergency room visits. This dual focus on clinical optimization and affordability makes pharmacists an essential part of the care team for chronic respiratory conditions.

Blevins underscores the importance of proactive, ongoing communication, starting with the first fill of a prescription. Pharmacists can ensure patients understand how to use inhalers correctly, reinforcing or, in some cases, providing for the first time the instruction that may have been missed during the prescriber visit. Follow-up at refill time is another key opportunity to assess inhaler technique, address deterioration in proper use, and identify patients—such as older adults or children—who may benefit from spacers to improve medication delivery.

By routinely asking questions, inviting concerns, and offering tailored support, community pharmacists help patients feel more confident in managing their asthma and allergies. This proactive, patient-centered approach can lead to better symptom control, fewer acute episodes, and improved overall outcomes.

“I really love to keep the lines of communication open with patients and really be proactive at stepping in with them,” she said. “It’s a good opportunity to help reinforce what the prescriber may have told them at their visit…or maybe the prescriber didn’t have the opportunity to help run through how to use the medications that they're actually prescribing.”