Reducing short-acting beta-agonist use in asthma: Impact of national incentives on prescribing practices in England and the findings from SENTINEL Plus early adopter sites.
M G CrooksH CummingsAlyn Hugh MoriceD SykesS BrooksA JacksonY XuPublished in: NPJ primary care respiratory medicine (2024)
Short-acting beta-agonist (SABA) over-use in asthma is harmful for patients and the environment. The Investment and Impact Fund (IIF) 2022/2023 financially rewarded English primary care networks that achieved specific targets, including reducing SABA over-use (RESP-02) and lowering the mean carbon footprint per salbutamol inhaler prescribed (ES-02). SENTINEL Plus is a co-designed quality improvement package that aims to improve asthma outcomes and reduce asthma's environmental impact by addressing SABA over-use. We investigated the impact of (i) the IIF incentives and (ii) SENTINEL Plus implementation on asthma prescribing. Using Openprescribing.net data, we demonstrate that IIF 2022-2023 had no significant impact on the total number of SABA prescribed in England (25,927,252 during 12-months pre- and 25,885,213 12-months post-IIF; 0.16% decrease; p=NS), but lower carbon footprint SABA inhaler use increased (Salamol™ prescribing increased from 5.1% to 19% of SABA prescriptions, p < 0.01). In contrast, SENTINEL Plus sites significantly reduced SABA prescribing post-implementation (5.43% decrease, p < 0.05).
Keyphrases
- primary care
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- lung function
- quality improvement
- allergic rhinitis
- healthcare
- end stage renal disease
- general practice
- chronic kidney disease
- cystic fibrosis
- emergency department
- risk assessment
- peritoneal dialysis
- ejection fraction
- adverse drug
- air pollution
- single molecule
- weight loss
- human immunodeficiency virus
- computed tomography
- men who have sex with men
- insulin resistance
- glycemic control