Screening for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Community Pharmacies: Respirafarma Project

Introduction: COPD is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Spain, affecting 11.8% of the population aged 40 to 80 years. It has a high underdiagnosis rate (75%), particularly in women (80.6%) compared to men (70.4%). This delays treatment and worsens prognosis. Community pharmacies, due to their accessibility, are strategic settings for early COPD screening, facilitating detection and timely referral. Objectives: The main objective was to identify cases of COPD in individuals over 35 years old in community pharmacies in Madrid. Secondary objectives included: - Confirming suspected cases of COPD through pulmonology. - Quantifying referred patients and other respiratory diagnoses. - Reducing COPD underdiagnosis. Methodology: This was an observational, prospective, and multicenter study involving: - Symptom questionnaire. - Smoking history. - COPD-PS test. - Spirometry with a portable Spirobank spirometer. Patients with a COPD-PS test score ≥ 4 and abnormal spirometric criteria (FEV1/FVC < 70%, FEV1 < 80%, or FVC < 80%) were referred to pulmonology. Community pharmacists collaborated with La Princesa University Hospital. Results: Of 270 patients, 54.5% had positive screenings. A total of 49 spirometries were performed, 19 at the hospital, confirming 6 cases of COPD (31.6%) and 2 of asthma. The project involved 26 pharmacists trained through workshops, telematic sessions, and in-person visits. Conclusions: The Respirafarma project demonstrated the effectiveness of COPD screening in community pharmacies, facilitating early diagnoses. It highlighted the pharmacist's role and interdisciplinary collaboration in improving respiratory health. Keywords: COPD, screening, community pharmacies, spirometry, early diagnosis, interdisciplinary collaboration.