New devices and guidance available for management of COPD and asthma

Abstract

Nurses will have noticed a recent explosion in the number of new inhalers becoming available for the management of asthma and even more so for COPD. There are new devices and new drugs to become familiar with (as well as expanded indications for some existing agents) and nurses may have already observed changes in prescribing patterns. This article will discuss the evolving place of these new agents in the context of limited health budgets, updated GOLD guideline s1 and the Health Service Executive (HSE) Medicines Management Programme (MMP) 2, 3 as well as an overview of the newer inhalers available on the Irish market. The HSE spent in excess of €107 million 2 on inhaled therapies in 2013 so it is no surprise that the MMP has identifi ed inhaled therapies as a priority with regard to cost containment and rationalisation