Online asthma guide launched

New online patient guides to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been launched by the Medicines Information Project, offering a new source of information about medicines for patients.

The guides are designed to ensure that people living with asthma and COPD understand more about the medicines that can help treat their condition.

Both guides are linked to information about the condition and the range of treatment options available, provided via NHS Direct Online. The Medicines Information Project is funded by the pharmaceutical industry, with the guides published by Datapharm Communications Ltd, publisher of the electronic Medicines Compendium.

As well providing detailed information about individual medicines, the online resource includes animation to demonstrate inhaler technique. Using inhalers effectively is recognised as one of the most important things to enable people who have asthma to get the most out of their medicines.

MIP says that its objective is to create a new comprehensive structured source of information about medicines alongside information about the condition and all the treatment options.

By providing individuals with clear information about individual medicines it is hoped that people will be able to make better informed choices about treatment, with their health professional, and to understand and use their medicine safely and effectively.

Joanne Shaw, Chairman of MIP, said: "The pilot project proved the concept and the multi-disciplinary Board which governs this project is committed to seeing it roll out in full, to make this important new resource available to all medicines users and health professionals."

According to MIP as many as 1.4 million children and 3.7 million adults are currently being treated for asthma in the UK. However, compliance with asthma medication is only around 50% in the UK. Misunderstanding treatment and medicines is one of the reasons for poor compliance.

Shaw said: "This project demonstrates how the pharmaceutical industry, patients and the NHS can work together successfully."

Future Medicine Guides will be published on a condition-by-condition basis and the publishing team is on schedule to deliver guides for all prescription medicines by mid 2007.

The Medicines Guides can be accessed at www.medicines.org.uk or via the NHS Direct Online website at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk.