Paediatric prescribing of asthma drugs in the UK: are we sticking to the guideline?
Steroid-alone inhalers should be the mainstay for the vast majority of patients with asthma who require controller medications. The increase in the number of combination inhalers prescribed is not consistent with the guideline recommendations that combination inhalers should only be introduced in those patients with asthma not controlled on adequate doses of inhaled steroids. Further education of health professionals is required.
Prescription data from general practice databases may be a valid, simple, and cost-effective method to evaluate and serially monitor the prevalence of AP.