Widespread poor asthma management is putting the health
of thousands of Kiwis at risk, new research
shows.
Asthma affects up to 20 per cent of New
Zealanders. We have the highest rate of asthma, and one of
the highest hospital admission rates for asthma, in the
OECD.
These statistics drove New Zealand medicines
data research company Matui to examine medicines information
from 330,000 people under 50 years dispensed asthma inhalers
in the previous 12 months or admitted to hospital with
asthma.
What they discovered was troubling, but
largely preventable.
Matui found about 25 per cent
(one in every four people) aged 12 and older did not receive
treatment that best reduces their risk of future severe
asthma attacks that could lead to hospitalisation or
death.
Those 25 per cent only received SABA inhaler
medication (known as short-acting beta2 agonists) designed
to bring short-term relief.
The most recent New
Zealand Adolescent and Adult Asthma Guideline released by
the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ state that this
treatment approach is no longer recommended in the long-term
management of asthma in adolescents and adults.
The
Guidelines introduced a fundamental shift in asthma
treatment, with a specific 2 in 1 combination (preventer and
reliever) inhaler recommended for most patients aged 12
years and over, instead of separate preventer and reliever
inhalers.
Matui researcher Noni Richards says: “As
someone with asthma myself, I feel frustrated that not all
people with asthma receive the care I do.”
Māori
with asthma at greatest risk
Dr Richards says
national data indicates we still have some way to go to
achieve equitable asthma outcomes for all patients in New
Zealand.
“There is a lot of
evidence that demonstrates that Māori with
asthma are more likely to be hospitalised or die due to
asthma than European or other ethnicities.
“Despite
this, Māori with asthma are less likely to be prescribed
preventer inhalers or to have an action plan or receive
adequate asthma education.”
Asthma continues to be
inadequately managed and likely poorly controlled generally
in the community, too, adds Dr Richards.
“People
aged over 12 years continue to be prescribed (or only pick
up) SABA inhalers without maintenance treatment, and many
people are dispensed excessive numbers of SABA inhalers in
the year.
“While this does not necessarily reflect
exactly how people are managing their asthma, we know both
measures are risk factors for severe attacks, hospital
admissions and mortality.”
The Matui team encourages
everyone with asthma to ask their GPs about an asthma action
plan.
About Matui
Matui is a leading Aotearoa
New Zealand research and information/data analysis company
that helps a variety of clients across the primary care
health sector.
We are driven by a desire to assist
people to access high-quality information and strategic
advice to aid decision making and improve health
outcomes.
The datasets we use from the Ministry of
Health Data Collections are de-identified, no prescriber or
patient details are available.
Web:
www.matui.co.nz
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