For the Jean Coutu Pharmacy on Coverdale Road in Riverview (New Brunswick), customer service goes beyond offering and dispensing medication. The pharmacy’s staff is involved in various community outreach and well-being initiatives, such as free counseling services, health assessments, a walking club, and various clinics aimed at helping customers better manage their health.
One of the most popular among these health and wellbeing initiatives is the pharmacy’s lung testing clinic, held once per month. This free clinic (by appointment) offers customers the chance to take a breathing test that screens for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. Tobacco smoking is the most common cause of COPD, with a number of other factors such as air pollution and genetics. Long-term exposure to these irritants causes an inflammatory response in the lungs, resulting in narrowing of the small airways and breakdown of lung tissue.
“Many smokers and ex-smokers have never taken the test and thus do not know they have COPD and that we can help them manage their symptoms to live a better quality of life,” explains Dr. Sarah Lord, Health & Wellness Coordinator at the Jean Coutu Pharmacy. “Early screening can make a difference.”
“We target people aged 40 years and up who are having respiratory problems, such as difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, coughing, asthma, wheezing, etc.,” says Dr. Lord. “Each person who visits the clinic gets the free lung test. We have a respiratory therapist from the Moncton Hospital join us on site to administer the test and interpret the results. A nurse then goes over the results with the customer and gives advice on dealing with symptoms, such as medications like inhalers that can be used, lifestyle modifications that can be beneficial and better breathing techniques.”
Smokers are then referred to various smoking cessation aids and resources available if they would like to reduce their tobacco consumption or quit smoking altogether. Ex-smokers are provided with encouragement as well as tools and resources to remain tobacco-free.
“We send a preliminary report of the breathing test to each client’s family doctor and ask clients to see their doctor for interpretation of the results and treatment,” adds Dr. Lord. “A specialist also reviews the report and sends his interpretation and recommendations to the family doctor.”
Dr. Lord says the clinic was launched over three years ago and has been very popular with the community. The pharmacy regularly reaches out to its customer base, as well as members of the general public, to promote the free lung clinic.
“On average, we get about 15-17 people every month at this clinic. I’d say 80% are new visitors. It’s easy for us to get the word out; we can look into our customer database to see who has a history of breathing problems, such as smokers and ex-smokers or people with asthma, etc. We’ve found that people appreciate this personal kind of follow-up. They love the fact that we pick up the phone and take the time to call them and have a conversation with them. They feel great knowing someone out there cares about their health and wellbeing. We also promote our clinic in the newspaper and encourage anyone to drop by, not just our current customers.”
Like many pharmacies, the Jean Coutu Pharmacy offers smoking cessation information, counseling and aids on site at its counter. Its pharmacists regularly get requests and assist customers with questions with regards to smoking cessation. However, the lung clinic allows staff to delve deeper and go the extra mile in helping its customers on an individual basis.
“We feel that a lot of people with COPD are undiagnosed and not aware they have COPD. Even if they have quit smoking, they can still have COPD as a result of all their years of smoking. Many are not using their inhalers correctly, so they are living with symptoms of COPD that could be alleviated. There are also breathing techniques and other lifestyle modifications that we can help them with to alleviate their symptoms. It’s much more encouraging for a smoker who is trying to quit to have the right medication and know how to use his inhalers properly. The person can thus start seeing a notable difference in breathing quality.”
Dr. Lord says she’s seen some very positive impacts from the lung clinic among members of the community. “I see a lot of people who, after getting the COPD screening and gone through our counseling, have greatly reduced their tobacco consumption. The clinic is also an informal support group; we see our customers chatting among themselves in the waiting room and sharing stories, tips and strategies. So there is a community support aspect to the clinic, which is very beneficial to anyone who wants to look at quitting smoking.”
The clinic is held monthly, usually in the evening from 6pm to 9pm. The COPD screening test takes about 10 minutes. Individual free counseling sessions on smoking cessation are also available anytime by request, without a doctor’s referral. “We can help a smoker who wants to quit with a quit plan, prescriptions for smoking cessation aids and medications and information on the various resources available, like the Smokers’ Helpline. People can come right up to the pharmacy counter for information or even call and book a counseling session in private. ”
The clinic has been made possible through funding, partnerships and sharing of information and resources with various health organizations, such as the New Brunswick Anti-Tobacco Coalition, the New Brunswick Lung Association and Novartis. “We see the clinic as a way to support and give back to our community,” says Dr. Lord “The response has been very positive”.
Photos: Royalty-free and licensed from StockFreeImages.com.
Published in August 2015
By Nathalie Landry – NBATC Communications Coordinator