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In the meantime, you can enjoy access to all the latest news, events and resources for different therapy areas on our website.Advice for pharmacists assisting patients with allergic rhinitis
Individuals with allergic rhinitis (AR) will often seek relief with the use of over-the-counter therapies from pharmacies. 1A recent article published online by Pharmacy Times has highlighted how pharmacists can offer guidance to patients when selecting appropriate treatment strategies for AR. 1
Therapy selection
In order for optimal treatment choices to be made, it is important for pharmacists to explain key differences between AR treatments. 1
Pharmacists should ensure they distinguish adjunctive treatments, such as nasal saline and decongestants, from main-line maintenance therapies, comprising antihistamines and intranasal steroids (INS). 1
The choice of INS can be influenced by a patient’s perceptions of a product’s characteristics such as scent, spray volume per actuation, or presence of phenyl-ethyl alcohol. 1
Managing patient expectations
The authors propose patients should be advised that while decongestants tend to be used for short-term symptom alleviation, INS and antihistamines are used for long-term symptom control, and that relief should not be expected immediately with INS. 1
Maximum symptom relief may occur several days after the start of INS treatment, and therefore patients should be advised not to stop treatment early. 1
Additionally, aspects of a current treatment that may result in an unwillingness to continue medication should be queried by the pharmacist, who could then assist patients in identifying possible alternatives. 1
By selecting the most effective agent to relieve the most troublesome symptoms, and managing a patient’s expectations of treatment, the pharmacist can help individual patients achieve optimal symptom control of AR. 1
