Eight in ten adults (81%) with a diagnosis of asthma have never had a discussion with their healthcare professional about the psychological impact of the condition, a survey has found. The survey of 500 asthma suffers, carried out by Opinion Health, also found that while 46% of respondents would value psychological support, almost a quarter…
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Name of pharmacy: Cadham Pharmacy, Glenrothes, Scotland. Name of pharmacist: Bernadette Brown. Why did you start offering the service? I’ve been offering the service since I opened up Cadham Pharmacy seven years ago, but I have been really specialising in respiratory for the past five years. I believed that there was a real need for…
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How do I go about changing people’s inhaled treatment if there are stock shortages? Pharmacist and Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS) executive committee member Darush Attar-Zadeh gives advice on asthma-related pharmacy queries during the coronavirus pandemic. We have seen some significant respiratory device shortages during the Covid-19 emergency period, and it may sometimes be necessary…
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What support should be offered to patients if their asthma device needs to be changed? Pharmacist and Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS) executive committee member Darush Attar-Zadeh gives advice for asthma-related pharmacy queries during the coronavirus pandemic. The virtual asthma review and the New Medicine Service (NMS) offer the ideal opportunity for pharmacists to find…
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Advice on common questions being asked during the Covid-19 pandemic Pharmacist and Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS) executive committee member Darush Attar-Zadeh gives advice for asthma-related pharmacy queries during the coronavirus pandemic. Q. Could a patient’s hayfever (allergic rhinitis) or smokers nicotine withdrawal symptoms be mistaken for Covid-19? Fever is a common symptom in Covid-19,…
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Steps to take when you suspect a patient is under-using ICS Pharmacist and Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS) executive committee member Darush Attar-Zadeh gives advice for asthma-related pharmacy queries during the coronavirus pandemic. As Professor Anna Murphy, consultant respiratory pharmacist at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, says of ICS in asthma, this is: ‘The…
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A variation of the regular Clenil 100mcg (beclometasone) asthma inhaler will soon be available for dispensing in the UK to help keep up with increased demand for the medication. Pharmaceutical company Chiesi has produced the new batch-specific inhaler which was recently approved by Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The first batches will be available…
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Asthma inhalers continue to be out of stock at some wholesalers because of ‘a dramatic increase’ in demand for the medicine as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Manufacturers are struggling to replenish their wholesalers with new asthma inhalers quickly enough, which is causing the delays in stock. But the Government has stressed suppliers are…
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Gaps between the rich and poor are linked to an increase in asthma deaths, an international study of 32 countries has said. The research, presented at the British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting today (5 December), suggests that financial inequality at a national level is far more significant than the wealth of a country. There is…
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There is no evidence for increasing inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) doses in children experiencing asthma exacerbations, NICE has said in a draft update of its asthma guidance in a reversal of its previous position. The update removes the 2017 recommendation to consider quadrupling the regular dose of ICS in children who experience a deterioration, as there…
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