PGA Newsletter – Vol.2 No.14 18th Apr.,2012
The treatment of asthma in Australia remains inadequate and could be improved by tailoring an individual’s treatment and educating them on inhaler technique, a leading asthma expert says. Writing in the latest edition of Australian Prescriber, Associate Professor Helen Reddel, research leader at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, said many people were prescribed higher doses than necessary. Most people did not use their inhalers correctly, leading to poor clinical outcomes and wasted medicines.
“Deaths from asthma have dramatically fallen in recent years, so it is often perceived as a commonplace and rarely serious condition. However, treatment of asthma in Australia is not optimal,” Dr Reddel said.
“Many patients are still under-treated. More than half of people with asthma aged 15–34 years are dispensed preventive medications only once in a year, which indicates many people are not taking enough of these medicines to reduce the risk of asthma flare-ups.
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