Australian Asthma Guidelines Advise Against Blue Puffer Reliance

“We now have new guidelines that advise medical practitioners and hopefully patients will hear this too, that there is no role for blue puffer that is short-acting reliever medication alone.”

“for blue puffer that is short-acting reliever medication alone and for us.”

“What we see is increasing numbers of people, a greater percentage of people with asthma who have poor asthma control, who rely only on their short-acting reliever”

“we don't want people taking short-course oral steroids to fix their asthma and we do want them to take more anti-inflammatory reliever.”

“Our guidelines now say that is the way to go. I did start to say, what is an anti-inflammatory reliever? It's something that relieves you just like the blue puffer does.”

“We say now that three puffers a year is too much. So going back to your question, how can we shift people from getting the blue puffer and the reliever only approach out of the way and starting on an anti-inflammatory reliever?”

“You've laid it all on them rather than what might just be pretty poor care in the part of the GP. Or the other health professionals.”