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Background: Pharmaceutical care services became recognized in New Zealand in the mid‐1990s, albeit with limited evidence of the acceptability and effectiveness of the model. An asthma‐specific pharmaceutical care service was trialled in southern New Zealand, based on a ‘problem–action–outcome’ method, with pharmacists adopting a patient‐centred, outcome‐focused approach with multidisciplinary consultation.

Objective: To report on the implementation and outcomes of a specialist asthma service offered by community pharmacists.

Design: Pharmacists in five pharmacies, servicing predominantly rural, established clientele, received training in the asthma service and research documentation. Ten patients per pharmacy were recruited in each year (years 1 and 2) of the study. The patients were entered into the study in cohorts of five per pharmacy twice yearly, with year 2 mirroring year 1. The phase‐in …