Asthma

Government has ‘no plans’ to include asthma in prescription charge exemptions

The Department of Health and Social Care has said it has “no current plans” to include asthma in the list of conditions that are exempt from the payment of prescription charges.…

Charity launches campaign to stop prescription charges for people with asthma

Asthma UK is calling for Matt Hancock, health and social care secretary, to stop “unfair” prescription charges in England, so that people with asthma no longer have to “pay to breathe”.…

UK asthma mortality is too high, but pharmacy can help

Since many deaths from asthma could be prevented with the correct treatment, pharmacists should have a greater role in ensuring patients receive the right medicines and referring patients who do not have well-controlled asthma.…

Millions of people with asthma still not receiving basic care, Asthma UK report reveals

As many as three-fifths of people with asthma in the UK are still not receiving critical elements of routine care, and those aged 18–29 years are faring the worst, according to the Annual Asthma Survey 2018 from charity Asthma UK.…

Third biological treatment for severe asthma approved by NICE

An injectable drug for patients who struggle to control their asthma with inhalers has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.…

Obesity increases risk of childhood asthma by 29%, say researchers

Obesity is a major preventable cause of childhood asthma, conclude the authors of a study published in Paediatrics.…

Alternative to steroids could ‘transform’ the lives of people with severe asthma, charity says

Monoclonal antibodies could significantly improve quality of life for individuals with severe asthma and reduce the need for oral corticosteroids and their side effects, a leading asthma charity has said.…

Asthma care in England needs to be more proactive, researchers say

An audit of data from Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group in England has found inconsistencies in asthma care that could leave high-risk patients unidentified and at risk of death.…

Healthy diet linked to improved asthma symptoms

Research across a large cohort using three different quality measures has shown that a healthy diet is associated with a reduced likelihood of experiencing asthma symptoms.…

Testing annual asthma reviews for those who fail to attend: proof-of-concept study

Asthma is one of the most common respiratory conditions in the UK. Around 30% of asthma patients fail to attend their annual asthma review, which leads to an increase in the number of preventable asthma-related hospital admissions. By using SIMPLE methodology and the PharmOutcomes® web-ba…