World Asthma Day in Pharmacies 2019
Chiesi and the Lovexair Foundation organize one more year training actions in pharmacies to improve therapeutic adherence in asthma A very low percentage of people with asthma in Spain use co
A very low percentage of people with asthma in Spain use the inhaler correctly,1 its use being one of the main reasons for medical consultation among this group of people
This is the fifth year that the Lovexair Foundation and Chiesi have carried out this initiative, which is part of the “Breathe is Life” program.
Health professionals will offer information on the disease and the correct use of inhalers in pharmacies on May 7
Barcelona, May 6, 2019. On the occasion of World Asthma Day, which is celebrated every first Tuesday in May, Chiesi and the Lovexair Foundation promote an action in various pharmacies distributed throughout Spain with the aim of helping to combat poor therapeutic adherence of people with asthma. Within the framework of this activity, which this year takes place on May 7, a community nurse or pharmacist will offer information and resolve doubts about the pathology and the correct use of inhalers to those who wish. This is the fifth year that the Lovexair Foundation and Chiesi have carried out this initiative, which is part of the "Breathing is Life".
"It is common for patients to consult us to find out if they are taking the inhaled treatment well and if they are performing the inhalation technique well," he says. Juana Rodríguez Ferreiroa, nurse at the Ferrol University Hospital Complex (La Coruña). "A large number of patients make errors in taking their inhalers, which are considered critical since they cause the medication to have less effect than expected or even no effect at all," he warns. Rodriguez Ferreiroa. It is estimated that only 9% of people with asthma in Spain use their inhaler correctly. The incorrect use of inhaler devices is one of the forms of poor therapeutic adherence of this group of people.
On the other hand, a high percentage of asthma patients do not follow the prescribed therapy1 which is associated with an increase in symptoms and an increased risk of exacerbations or crises. As a consequence, there is an increase in morbidity, as well as a greater use of health services and resources. Not following the treatment correctly means "more exacerbations and the more relapses, the worse it is because lung capacity decreases, which increases the need for medication to treat these exacerbations, which sometimes even require hospital admission," he warns. Inmaculada Lassaleta, nurse at the Functional Test Laboratory of the General University Hospital of Alicante. On the other hand, "if they follow the treatment correctly, people with asthma will be controlled, will have fewer exacerbations and will need fewer hospital admissions," he adds. Lassaleta.
More than three million adults and more than half a million children up to the age of 14 suffer from asthma in Spain and many of them are not properly controlled. The nurse at the General University Hospital of Alicante attributes this problem to "the lack of education in inhaled therapy for patients". "It is very important to convince them of the importance of treatment with inhalers, show them what the disease is, how to use these inhalers, what to do when they are not feeling well, when they have flare-ups and when they should go to the emergency room," he says. Lassaleta. With this action in pharmacies, Chiesi and the Lovexair Foundation intend precisely to help health professionals in their work to remedy this situation. "We know that good management of inhaled treatment in people with asthma is key to their improvement, greatly reducing the frequency of acute crises, increasing independence in managing their pathology and increasing their quality of life, so that any activity aimed at training the handling of the inhalation device and increasing knowledge of inhaled treatment has a significant impact on the health of this group”, he says Rodriguez Ferreiroa.
“It is quite complicated for patients to carry out a correct inhaled therapy due to the difficulty involved. Performing inspiration with the necessary force or coordinating inhalation with pulsation is very complicated. In addition, they forget to carry out fundamental steps such as apnea or rinsing their mouth after taking the medication”, he explains. Eva Maroto, Director of the Lovexair Patient Area.
In addition to offering information and resolving doubts in relation to the pathology of asthma and the correct use of the most widely used inhalation devices, in some of the participating pharmacies, there will be the option of performing a spirometry, one of the main diagnostic tests for asthma and that serves to evaluate lung function, to people who want it.
All the information on this action promoted by the Lovexair Foundation and Chiesi, within the program “Breathing is Life”, on the occasion of World Asthma Day, as well as the list of collaborating pharmacies that, aware of their important work and responsibility in promoting health, in this case of people with asthma, have joined this initiative, you can consult in https://respiraresvida.com/dia-mundial-asma.php
"For Chiesi it is a great satisfaction to promote initiatives on the occasion of World Asthma Day, which arise from our constant commitment to improving the quality of life of patients with respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD," he explains. Giuseppe Chiericatti, general director of Chiesi in Spain.
A disease on the rise
Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic respiratory diseases: in Spain, it affects 5% of adults and up to 10% of the child population1. The prevalence and impact of asthma are increasing markedly in urbanized regions due to environmental factors and lifestyle changes. It affects 334 million people in the world and is already one of the most frequent chronic disorders. If the current population growth continues, in 2025 it will become the most prevalent chronic disease in childhood and will be one of the main causes of the increase in health costs.
About the Lovexair Foundation
Lovexair is a non-profit organization dedicated to the cure, support and accompaniment of people affected by chronic and rare respiratory diseases. Its mission is to improve the quality of life of these patients and their families, as well as to support health professionals so that they can improve patient care and follow-up.
To achieve this, Lovexair has developed the HappyAir Smart Community (www.happyair.org), a community of patients, family members, caregivers, and the healthcare professionals who support them. It offers training and resources in digital health to help them – at a clinical, social and educational level – to manage their respiratory pathology and lead an active life. With the support of health professionals and pharmacists, the Foundation is currently developing projects at a local level aimed at respiratory patients, as well as their relatives or caregivers, in order to train them for self-care, stimulate their active life and improve their quality of life. http://www.lovexair.com
About the Breathing is Life Program
The Breathe is Life Program born with the aim of contributing to the knowledge and awareness of the population about the asthma and the COPD, two of the most prevalent respiratory diseases. It offers practical, reliable and quality information from experts in the field. The activities carried out within the framework of the Breathe is Life Program they are aimed at people with asthma and COPD, family and friends, as well as the press and health professionals.
About Chiesi Spain
Chiesi Spain is part of the Chiesi Group, a pharmaceutical multinational based in Parma (Italy) created more than 80 years ago dedicated to research and development. After more than 20 years in the Spanish market, Chiesi Spain has more than 260 employees and a turnover of more than €99M. It is the 5th subsidiary in Europe and the 6th worldwide in terms of turnover. The main therapeutic areas of Chiesi Spain are respiratory, neonatology and rare diseases, among others. It is also the first subsidiary of the group to have a self-care line product unit.
Chiesi's commitment to the respiratory area
As a result of Chiesi's commitment to the respiratory area, in 2008 the company launched Foster®, the only ICS/LABA combination of extrafine particles, thanks to which a high and homogeneous pulmonary deposit is achieved throughout the bronchial tree, also in the small airway This treatment, added to the recent launch of Trimbow®, represents an example of Chiesi's efforts to improve the quality of life of patients with respiratory diseases.
Another example of Chiesi's commitment is the Inhaler Adherence Test (TAI), the first specific questionnaire to determine the degree of therapeutic adherence in the use of these devices. The test has been validated in 14 languages to be used in around 160 countries. On the other hand, the pharmaceutical company has developed the iCodex application together with a group of COPD experts. The application is based on the CODEX index (comorbidity, airway obstruction, dyspnea and previous severe exacerbations), and it allows predicting the short- and medium-term risk of mortality and readmission of a COPD patient after hospital admission. For more information on the respiratory area, consult www.smallairways.es
For more information:
Mar Escardo/Andrea Ordax
Hill + Knowlton Strategies
Tel +93 410 82 63
mar.escardo@hkstrategies.com/Andrea.ordax@hkstrategies.com
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