Asthma

Breath of fresh air: why it is time for a national drive to recycle used inhalers

Every single one of us should be making changes to our living habits to ensure we reduce our carbon footprint, and the way we use and dispose of inhalers is no exception.…

Working group set up to cut climate change impact of asthma inhalers

A national working group has been set up to reduce the climate change impact of asthma inhalers and help meet carbon emissions targets laid out in the ‘NHS Long Term Plan’.…

Inhaled steroids no more effective than placebo for some mild asthma patients, study finds

The majority of patients with mild, persistent asthma who had a low level of eosinophils, showed no significant difference in their response to an inhaled corticosteroid when compared to placebo, study results have shown.…

Children and parents overestimate correct use of asthma inhalers by youngsters, study finds

Nearly all children with asthma think they are using their asthma inhaler medication correctly when they are not, making it difficult to keep the condition under control, a study has shown.…

Painkiller link to childhood asthma unlikely to be causal, researchers say

A previously reported association between analgesic use in pregnancy and childhood asthma is likely to result from confounding factors, researchers have concluded.…

NICE publishes decision aid to help patients choose greener asthma inhalers

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a new patient decision aid to help patients choose the best asthma inhaler for both them and the environment.…

How pharmacists can make sure people with asthma get the most from their inhalers

Recent research has shown that almost half of people with asthma are not using their inhaler properly[1] . Not only does this mean that they could be susceptible to side effects, such as oral thrush, but, more importantly, the medicine will not get into the lungs where it is needed to preve…

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.…