Posted by Michael Wonder on 03 Apr 2018
The cost of asthma medicines
3 April 2018 - Out-of-pocket cost is a major factor contributing to poor adherence to treatment, including in Australia where most medicines are subsidised by the PBS.
Patients may not necessarily be comfortable telling a doctor their concerns about prescription costs, but pharmacists frequently see cost-related decisions being made at the point of purchase.
This is particularly the case for asthma, since short-acting reliever inhalers, such as salbutamol, are cheaper than inhaled corticosteroids and have a rapid effect. However, reliance on reliever inhalers, especially without a preventer, increases the risks of severe asthma exacerbations.
