Original Research Evaluating the implementation fidelity of New Medicines Service for asthma patients in community pharmacies in Belgium

Background: In October 2013, a New Medicines Service (NMS) was introduced in community pharmacies in Belgium to support asthma patients who are novice users of inhaler devices with corticosteroids. The protocol-based intervention used the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS) to assess asthma control and medication adherence. The NMS is the first initiative that puts advanced pharmaceutical care into practice in Belgium. The present study evaluated the degree to which the NMS program is delivered as intended, drawing on the concept of implementation fidelity (IF). Methods: The main dimensions of IF and potential moderating and facilitating factors for the implementation of NMS in community pharmacies were evaluated using telephone interviews with pharmacists (n ¼ 497), semi-structured interviews with patients eligible for NMS (n ¼ 30), focus groups