Improve asthma control and reduce use of SABA reliever inhalers |
Encourage regular preventer treatment by every means possible, empowering patients by helping them understand their condition and how their treatments work Ensure that health professionals understand the dose ranges and relative potencies of inhaled corticosteroids
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Improve COPD control and reduce use of SABA reliever inhalers |
Smoking cessation, exercise promotion and pulmonary rehabilitation, flu immunisation, regular long acting bronchodilators
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Promote effective self-management |
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Ensure all inhalers are used with correct technique for greater effectiveness |
Know how to teach this and do it Encourage use of online video tutorials Put questions about inhaler technique in the final examinations for all healthcare professionals
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Make optimal use of spacers to increase clinical effectiveness of pMDIs where these are used |
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Prescribe pMDIs so as to minimise propellant quantity and consider alternative inhaler brands |
For example, Salamol inhaler contains half as much propellant as Ventolin inhaler for equivalent dosage, and beclometasone 200 μg one puff twice daily uses half as much propellant as beclometasone 100 μg two puffs twice daily
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Ensure patients have a pMDI and spacer emergency treatment pack for self-management of exacerbations, especially if using DPIs for regular treatment |
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Ensure pMDIs are not discarded before they are empty |
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Promote inhaler recycling |
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