The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy Works with Open Airways for Schools

By Andrew Vidalis

(September 21, 2012)—

Students at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy in Columbus, Ohio are taking the initiative and helping educate local school children about asthma education through Open Airways for Schools (OAS).

These trained pharmacy students who volunteer offer an innovative, fresh approach to an OAS program that has previously used nurses, teachers, parents, emergency medical professionals, and many others as trained OAS instructors. The pharmacy students have an opportunity to apply their newly acquired knowledge and gain invaluable experience outside of the classroom, while most importantly helping to educate the children and the community.

The informative program is designed for students ages 8-11 to develop improved asthma self-management skills, decrease the frequency of asthma emergencies through the recognition of triggers and prevention education, and to enhance the asthma awareness of the parents/guardians and the school.

To convey a comfortable environment for the students, sessions are done in small groups that have about 12 children. Stories, group discussion, games, role play, and artistic exercises help facilitate the educational process by engaging the interest of the schoolchildren.
 
The Ohio State students were able to achieve an enormous effect: in one spring quarter 182 students from multiple local schools received six 40-minute group lessons.

That is 182 more students that can recognize and manage asthma, use medication, learn how to get more exercise, and have the opportunity to do better at school due to the decline of asthma related absences.

However, even more people are educated through the program. The parents/guardians of the children will also become more knowledgeable from handouts (available in both English and Spanish) that the students bring home. Also, previous experience has shown that the newly educated children are likely to pass on their education to other schoolchildren and children suffering from asthma.

The American Lung Association of the Midland Sates supports and encourages efforts such as those taken by The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy students from The American Pharmacist Association and other Open Airways for Schools instructors.