Nearly 13% of asthmatics using inhaled corticosteroids improperly

Approximately 13% of asthma patients in the general scheme of health insurance have bought in 2000, only one box inhaled corticosteroids are recommended as yet background (requiring more boxes), shows study * health insurance, presented in Paris at a press briefing organized by the CNAM (National Health Insurance Fund.) The management of asthma, COPD and bronchiloite

They are nearly 500,000 in this situation more than 3.8 million people who have received at least a refund of anti-asthma in 2000 (mainly beta-2 agonists and glucocorticoids) drugs, said Dr. Alain Weill, medical officer of health insurance.

In this study, the authors noted that more than half of the patients (54.7%) did not purchase one box of medicine, the majority of beta-2 agonist bronchodilators short of action in the treatment of asthma.

The importance of the single annual issue of inhaled corticosteroids "raises questions of diagnosis, compliance with authorization on the market (AMM), compliance (due to adverse events, the absence of relief, the insufficient patient education, the mode of administration ...) and more generally the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), "they write.

Prescription according to the recommendations of experts to lead more than two prescriptions in the year, noted Dr. Weill. Inhaled glucocorticoids have been prescribed inappropriately for a crisis.

Some of these isolated rescues may correspond to the discontinuation of a background beginning of the year after re-treatment or initiation of treatment at the end of the year. These drugs may also be prescribed for some patients with COPD or infants with bronchiolitis.