Devices & Diagnostics, Hospitals

Are only 7% of asthma sufferers using inhalers the right way?

The charity Asthma UK is making an effort to increase care for patients who aren’t […]

The charity Asthma UK is making an effort to increase care for patients who aren’t using their inhalers the correct way, which leads to use of stronger inhalers that aren’t actually necessary.

This insight comes after a separate U.S. study found that only 16 percent of those prescribed adrenalin auto-injectors in case of a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction actually used them properly, according to the BBC. Researchers also reported in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology that only 7 percent asthma suffers were using inhalers the right way.

Study leader Dr. Rana Bonds from the University of Texas Medical Branch said that based on the results, it appears that people either aren’t being informed on how to use the devices properly in the first place, or they “forgot the instructions over time.”

Maureen Jenkins, clinical director of Allergy UK, said she was not at all surprised by the findings. She said because there were different designs of inhalers and auto-injectors, people needed to get specific advice for the exact ones they had, which often did not happen. “We have just finished a leaflet on allergic asthma which talks about proper use of these devices.”

This isn’t just a major issue for those who actually need the devices for their conditions and how successful their treatment is, it’s a cost issue.

“This is also hugely wasteful – asthma-prescribing is one of the most expensive areas of cost for the NHS [National Health Service], costing almost £1bn annually,” said Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and policy at Asthma UK. (So that’s about 1.55 billion U.S..) “You wouldn’t give someone a new car without them having driving lessons first, so if you are going to invest in prescribing a lifetime of asthma medicines, it’s crucial that healthcare professionals ensure that their patients know how to use them.”

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