Introduction

Local prescribing data revealed Antrim/Ballymena Federation to be among the top prescribers of SABA inhalers in Northern Ireland, negatively impacting patients and the environment. To address this, Antrim/Ballymena Federation utilised SENTINEL Plus, a co-designed quality improvement package, in conjunction with Interface Pharmacy Services.

Aims and Objectives

To improve patient outcomes and reduce the environmental impact of asthma care by reducing SABA over-use and increasing maintenance and reliever therapy (MART) use for appropriate patients.

Methods

From September 2022 to March 2023, Interface Pharmacy Services analysed routinely collected NHS data to form a baseline and conducted asthma reviews aligned with SENTINEL Plus in 14 of 26 Federation practices. Changes in prescribing practice are reported.

Results

642 patient reviews were undertaken. Of these, 424 patients had their short acting bronchodilator (SABA or SAMA) removed from repeat prescription with 374 patients commenced on MART. 99% of reviewed patients received pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to improve asthma control. Prescribing changes are displayed in the table.

Conclusions

Through Sentinel Plus adoption, SABA prescribing was reduced and MART uptake increased for appropriate asthma patients. Dry powder inhaler (DPI) use increased, reducing the environmental impact of asthma prescribing.