Asthma and allergy medications are not taken correctly

2. 1. 2015

As recent research has shown, patients with asthma and severe allergies very often take their medication incorrectly. This is also because the correct procedure has not been explained to them in the healthcare facility. In asthma patients, for example, this situation and incorrect inhalation technique leads to the prescription of stronger medication than is actually needed.

A study conducted in the United States showed that only 16% of patients who were prescribed adrenaline in the form of an auto-injector as a treatment for life-threatening situations were able to use it correctly. And the same study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology also shows that only 7% of asthma patients use their inhaler correctly. There are two reasons for this - patients were not instructed by their doctor in the outpatient clinic or they forgot the instructions over time.
Surprisingly, doctors were not that surprised by the study result itself, especially given the variety of medications, inhalers or auto-injectors. That is why a leaflet with instructions for patients with allergic asthma is already in the pipeline for patients to receive in the outpatient clinic.
The next step would be to work more closely with pharmacists and pharmacy staff, who would also instruct patients when they visit the pharmacy. Last but not least, there is an emphasis on the doctors themselves (especially allergists), who would erudite their patients again and again in the application of medicines during regular check-ups.

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