Evaluation Of Inhaler Use And Inhaler Technique Among Asthma Patients At Shanaya Main Clinic, Purwakarta

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that requires long-term therapy, and inhalers are one of the main dosage forms used in its management. Incorrect inhaler use can reduce therapeutic effectiveness. This study aimed to describe inhaler use among asthma patients at Shanaya Main Clinic, Purwakarta, based on the type, quantity, and timing of drug dispensing, and to assess the correctness of inhaler technique. The study used a descriptive design with two components: a retrospective approach using the clinic pharmacy dispensing records (25 asthma patients who received inhalers in March 2026, selected by total sampling ) and direct observation of inhaler technique using a 14-step observation sheet in 12 patients who met the criteria and were willing to be observed (13 observations). Data were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that all patients (25 patients; 100%) received Seretide Inhaler 50 (a combination of salmeterol and fluticasone propionate), at one box per prescription, and most patients (19 patients; 76.0%) received the medication in the first week of March 2026. At the first observation, none of the patients (0 of 12; 0.0%) performed all steps correctly; the mean score was 9.0 out of 14 (64.3%), ranging from 7 to 11, so all patients (100%) were classified as needing re-education based on the 14/14 scoring criterion. The steps with the highest accuracy were opening the mouthpiece cap, placing the mouthpiece in the mouth, pressing the canister while inhaling, and rinsing the mouth (91.7% each), while the lowest were cleaning the mouthpiece and closing the inhaler (8.3%) and priming (25.0%). One patient who was re-observed reached a score of 14/14 at the second attempt, although the effectiveness of education cannot be concluded. The findings should be interpreted cautiously because of the limited sample size and the single-clinic setting.