Submission to Post-Market Review of PBS Medicines Used to Treat Asthma in Children

Submission 6 - Paediatrician

I refer to your letter of 12 February, 2013 concerning “Call for Submissions:  Review of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Medicines Used to Treat Asthma in Children”.  The request has been distributed to Senior Medical and Nursing Clinicians.  One general comment has been received as follows:

“As a general paediatrician in private practice, most of my time treating children with asthma is taken up with taking them off the combined (long acting beta agonist with steroid) treatment medications which have been commenced by the general practitioner as first line management and putting them on either an inhaled steroid or monteleukast.  I suggest they (the combined medications) should become an authority script in children under 13.”