Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1. Prescription data. Panel A: bronchodilator;6 panel B: respiratory corticosteroids;30 panel C: montelukast;31 panel D: ratio of corticosteroids (respiratory) per each 1000 reliever prescriptions (bronchodilator), illustrating a shift towards a higher volume of corticosteroid compared with salbutamol prescriptions after the COVID-19 lockdown32
Tables
- Table 1. Characteristics of the Asthma UK community participants as ascertained from their posts, and treatments mentioned by participants
Sample characteristics n Number of unique usernames, names, or pseudonyms (Hidden usernames excluded)* 67 Adults with asthma 48 Children with asthma talked about by third party 2 Unspecified age 17 Sex of participants Female 34 Male 3 Usernames with unspecified sex 30 Number of posts n Total number of posts 136 Posts by hidden usernames 11 Treatment (number of posts stating type of treatment) Preventer inhalers 34 Reliever inhalers 37 Combined inhalers 33 Montelukast 18 Injections 4 Antihistamines 7 Nebuliser or nebules 27 Nasal spray 7 Prednisolone tablets 4 Magnesium (intravenous) 1 Not stated 13 *This number does not include participants from the ‘hidden username’ group, which could not be accounted for.
- Table 2. Themes divided into factors, concerns, and strategies used by members of an online asthma community
Coding Sub-themes Factors leading to increased prescription requests Patients stockpiling
Doctors prescribing more
Realising inhalers were out of date
Requesting new treatment for fear of being admitted to hospital during the pandemic
Belief that asthma treatment could be used to treat COVID-19 symptoms
Original treatment being out of stock
Request of multiple prescriptions to avoid prescription charge
Beliefs about reduced dose towards end of use of inhalers
Buying extra inhalers owing to difficulty with tracking remaining doses without counters
Concerns towards lack of and/or change in treatment Deterioration of medical condition
Healthcare professionals not being aware of the shortage
Pharmacies not having patients’ interests at heart
Patients’ and healthcare professionals’ strategies to deal with lack of or change in treatment Change of treatment
Contacting healthcare providers, out-of-hours health care, pharmacies, online pharmacies, and private healthcare services
Individually driven check of asthma medication shortages
Keeping track of doses when canisters have no counter
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