THE Australian Asthma Handbook has been revised and updated, and now recommends anti-inflammatory reliever only therapy or maintenance-and-reliever therapy for adults and adolescents.
The National Asthma Council Australia (NAC) Guidelines Committee undertook an extensive overview of the latest asthma guidelines from around the world, resulting in practical recommendations for Australian primary care based on the best available evidence.
It will be released in Jun 2025.
"The most critical take-home message for health professionals is to prescribe anti-inflammatory treatment from day one when it comes to asthma in adults and adolescents," said Clinical Associate Professor Debbie Rigby, pharmacist and NAC Clinical Executive Lead.
"The NAC is calling on all health professionals to stop prescribing or advising treatment with as-needed short-acting beta2 agonists (SABA) alone to manage asthma in adults and adolescents - inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are indicated for all adults and adolescents with asthma.
"We know that many Australians are managing their own asthma just with over-the-counter salbutamol, even though it is no longer recommended in guidelines for prescribers.
"As-needed SABA alone is inadequate treatment for asthma in adults or adolescents and is associated with a higher risk of severe asthma exacerbations, compared with low dose ICS-containing treatment," she said.
Pharmacists and other health professionals can get a preview of the new national guidelines for asthma management in primary care for adults and adolescents in a Praxhub webinar next week, on Tue 18 Mar.
During the webinar, Assoc Prof Rigby will outline the risks of over-reliance on SABA reliever with no anti-inflammatory treatment to manage the underlying disease.
The webinar will also outline environmental considerations, including the impact of inhalers, as well as the impact of sub-optimal asthma management.
Consultant paediatrician Dr Mike Forrester and leading GP educator Dr Anita Munoz will also feature in the webinar and there will be a live Q&A segment with the expert panel.
Click HERE to register.
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