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\n The shortage provides an opportunity for health professionals to reinforce the updated Australian Asthma Handbook guidelines. (Image: National Asthma Council)
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\n News<\/p>\n
\n With some shortages expected to last throughout 2026, how should GPs respond? Experts say it\u2019s an opportunity to transition patients.
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\n The shortage provides an opportunity for health professionals to reinforce the updated Australian Asthma Handbook guidelines. (Image: National Asthma Council)
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To support patient understanding of why a medication regime might need to be changed, the National Asthma Council recently released a suite of resources<\/a>\u00a0to guide GPs and patients in their discussions.
newsGP weekly poll
\n GPs have been informed of a supply shortage of Ventolin nebules<\/a> which may impact their prescribing choices, however experts agree the shortage presents an opportunity to ensure patients are treated in line with national asthma guidelines.
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\nDrug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline Australia has notified of a supply shortage of Ventolin nebules (salbutamol sulfate) 5 mg\/2.5 mL and 2.5 mg\/2.5 mL inhalation solution ampoules \u2018that may affect your ability to prescribe, administer or supply the products to your patients\u2019.
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\nThe out-of-stock period for the 5 mg\/2.5 mL inhalation solution ampoules is anticipated to last until 17 August 2026, while the 2.5 mg\/2.5 mL ampoules are currently facing a supply shortage with limited availability until 21 December 2026.
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\nThe supply pressure has resulted from a continued shortage of non-GSK salbutamol 5 mg ampoules, the de-registration of non-GSK salbutamol 2.5 mg ampoules, an increase in patient demand for Ventolin-branded nebules, and limited scope to adjust manufacturing capacity to meet this demand, GSK explained. \u00a0
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\nClinical Associate Professor\u00a0Debbie Rigby, Clinical Executive Lead at the National Asthma Council (NAC), said\u00a0while this may be distressing for patients who have been using this medication, the shortage provides an\u00a0opportunity for health professionals\u00a0to reinforce the\u00a0updated Australian Asthma Handbook<\/a>\u00a0guidelines.
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\n\u2018No adult or adolescent should be using\u00a0short-acting beta2 agonist (SABA-only) treatment and\u00a0the emphasis is\u00a0now\u00a0on\u00a0embedding anti-inflammatory reliever (AIR-only) and maintenance-and-reliever therapy (MART) approaches as standard care for adults and adolescents,\u2019 she said.
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\nClinical Associate Professor\u202fRigby\u00a0said\u00a0it is important for health professionals to communicate to patients that\u00a0salbutamol delivered via nebuliser requires a higher dose without\u00a0any\u00a0added therapeutic\u00a0benefit.
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\n\u2018Pressurised metered-dose inhalers\u00a0with a spacer is at least as effective as a nebuliser for the delivery of salbutamol for adults and children, even during symptomatic exacerbations,\u2019 she said.
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\nIn addition, nebulisers are less portable as they may require a power source to\u00a0run and\u00a0take a longer time to deliver a dose of salbutamol, with patients needing to wait up to 10 minutes for the dose to be administered, according to the NAC.\u00a0
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\nClinical Associate Professor\u00a0Rigby\u00a0added that\u00a0the recommendations to avoid SABA-only treatment and shift towards inhaled corticosteroids (ICS-containing) therapy for all adults and adolescents\u00a0requires substantial education and behaviour changes for patients.\u00a0
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\n\u2018We encourage all health professionals to talk to their patients about the importance of focusing on alleviating chronic inflammation in the airways, not just addressing symptoms,\u2019 she said.
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\nChair of RACGP Specific Interests Respiratory Medicine Dr Kerry Hancock agrees that current supply concerns are a good prompt to review any patients relying on salbutamol to manage their asthma.
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\n\u2018Most patients with asthma should not be using short-acting beta agonists, that\u2019s salbutamol, for management of their asthma,\u2019 she told newsGP.
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\n\u2018This is an opportunity to review their asthma management and change patients over to treatment that is more aligned to the recently updated asthma management guidelines, where we\u2019re trying to reduce the exposure to salbutamol.
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\n\u2018Most patients, including even very young children, do not require nebulised Ventolin. They can be instructed in how to use salbutamol or Ventolin via a puffer and spacer.\u2019
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\nDr Hancock added that\u00a0this\u00a0is\u00a0not a shortage of pressurised metred-dose inhalers (pMDI) \u2013 only the nebules being used in nebulisers.
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\n\u2018We have moved away from using those years ago in the community, because we know that using a puffer and spacer is just as effective and more suitable for patients than nebulised Ventolin.\u2019
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\nIf a patient has an acute episode of asthma and requires salbutamol, Dr Hancock said it\u2019s important to explore the reasons for this<\/a>.
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\n\u2018Why have they had this exacerbation, this acute asthma? Was the asthma not being managed appropriately or in in accordance with guidelines beforehand, and has resulted now in this exacerbation?\u2019
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\nEducating patients on the evidence is also an essential step in ensuring care is aligned with the latest clinical guidelines, Dr Hancock said.<\/p>\n
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\nThe shortage announcement comes as the TGA registers a new medication option for severe eosinophilic asthma and\u00a0chronic rhinosinusitis\u00a0with nasal polyps.
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\nDepemokimab (sold as Exdensur<\/a>) is\u00a0an\u00a0anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibody administered once every six months, prescribed by specialists under specific TGA criteria.
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\nDr Hancock said while there are other monoclonal antibodies on the market, this new medication might be more suitable for some patients given the twice-yearly dose, however this will be a decision for specialist colleagues.
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\nGSK Australia Country Medical Director, Sebastian DiNatale, said the company looked forward to working with the Federal Government to support equitable access for Australians who may benefit from this treatment.
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\n asthma<\/a> Australian Asthma Handbook<\/a> clinical guidelines<\/a> medication supply<\/a>
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\n Do you believe GPs should play a greater role in shaping the future of Australia\u2019s health system?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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