Asthma mortality in the UK is too high,but pharmacy can help

摘要

Asthma may be a treatable disease,but it can be a killer.The UK has the fourth worst asthma mortality rate in Europe1.Around 5.4 million people(1.1 million children and 4.3 million adults)receive treatment for asthma in the UK,but 1,434 people died from an asthma attack in the UK in 2015-up by more than 20% since 20112.The National Review of Asthma Deaths(NRAD),’Why asthma still kills’looked into the circumstances surrounding 195 deaths from asthma recorded between 1 February 2012 and 30 January 2013.It was published in August 2015 and suggests that more than 60% of the asthma deatirs it reported could have been prevented.The results of the review showed some uncomfortable findings3: 10% of these patients died within 28 days of discharge from hospital after being treated for asthma;Only 23% of these patients had been provided with personal asthma action plans(PAAPs),which are acknowledged to improve asthma care;43% of these patients had not received an asthma review in the last year of their life;50% of these patients did not have triggers or exacerbating factors documented.