Achievements

"....eliminating asthma and minimising the risks of asthma."

Impact at a Glance

Milestones in Australia

Impact at a Glance

2004-5 onwards (The Challenge)
Asthma control hard to maintain  Prevalence declining? ED attendances rising? Written Asthma Action Plan ownership decreased Adherence strategies Smoking and asthma Appropriate dosing – inhaled corticosteroids	ICS, cataracts and osteoporosis – perception and reality Effective GP and pharmacist strategies National consumer campaigns

Late 1990s – 2003 (The Solution)

Funding needed NAC public relations activities ongoing Successful lobbying for National Health Priority Area and the 3+ Visit Plan Funding for National Asthma Strategy gaps

During 1990s (The Planks)
Guideline dissemination, revision, implementation Public awareness campaigns Period of highest written Asthma Action Plan ownership Guidelines evidence based Report on the Cost of Asthma Asthma Adherence: A Guide for Health Professionals Strong media and public awareness	National Asthma Strategy Surveys showed: Deaths down (1989 – 964, 2003 – 314) Better asthma control Decrease in hospital admissions and ED attendances Improved GP (and pharmacist) asthma management

Late 1980s  (The Problem)
Deaths high Prevalence rising GPs lacked information Lack of community awareness	Patients uninformed No stakeholder coordination No disseminated guidelines NAC formed

 

    

Milestones in Australia

2004

• International Primary Care Respiratory Group 2nd World Conference (Melbourne)
• Asthma Management Handbook 2006 process underway
• Asthma 3+ Visit Plan Communication Strategy for Pharmacists (with Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia)
• Virtual Roadshow on Paediatric Asthma
• Paediatric Asthma television commercial

2003

• Virtual Roadshow on Paediatric Asthma
• Information Paper on inhaled corticosteroids
• Information Paper on leukotriene receptor antagonists
• Puff 2 television campaign – asthma control
• National Asthma Strategy, Mark 2 underway
• Asthma in Australia published (ACAM)

2002

• Launch of Asthma Management Handbook 2002
• National Asthma Reference Group established to advise Commonwealth Government on National Health Priority Area and 3+ Visit Plan
• International Primary Care Respiratory Group 1st World Conference (Amsterdam)
• Information Paper on combination therapy
• Puff 1 television campaign – asthma control

2001

• Federal Budget - $48.4 million for 3+ Visit Plan (over 4 years)
• Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy joins NAC
• Asthma Forum (Asthma briefing day in Canberra)

1999

• Dairy Australia’s TV campaign on asthma and dairy products
• Publication of third national survey of asthma management practices of adults and children
• First CFC-free inhalers introduced
• Launch of Asthma Adherence: A Guide for Health Professionals
• Asthma made a National Health Priority Area! ($8.2 million)
• Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring (ACAM) (NAC initiative) taken up under the National Health Priority Area
• Formation of the National Asthma Council Parliamentary Association
• Publication of the 1999 Evidence-based review of the Australian Six Step Management Plan

1998

• NAC presents case for National Health Priority to Federal Health Minister
• Launch of Asthma Management Handbook 1998 and CD-ROM
• Information Paper on long-acting beta-agonists
• Launch NAC Media Awards
• Asthma briefing day for Canberra bureaucrats

1997

• NAC and federal Department of the Environment form CFC-free Working Group
  Pharmaceutical companies, Therapeutic Goods Administration, Medicines Australia, Australian Self Medication Industry
• NAC Adherence Workshop – Prof. Cynthia Rand, Johns Hopkins University
• NAC organises response on nebulised therapy to PBAC

1996

• Asthma Management Handbook 1996 and website launched
• First national preparatory public campaign on CFC-free inhalers
• Asthma Research Priorities for Australia for NHMRC
• Second night-time asthma campaign
• NSAIDs and asthma campaign
• National Asthma Strategy, Strategy and Implementation launched

1994 – 1995

• General Practitioners’ Asthma Group formed
• Asthma Liaison Officers in most Divisions of General Practice
• Pharmacists’ Asthma Management Handbook 1994 launched
• National Asthma Strategy, Goals and Targets launched
• Breathing Clouds television campaign (preventer medication)
• Night time asthma campaign launched by young Olympians
• Spirometry: The Measurement and Interpretation of Ventilatory Function in Clinical Practice launched

1993

• National Asthma Strategy underway
• Geoff Marsh television campaign repeated
• Asthma Management Handbook 1993 launched
• Successful publication of NAC evaluations
  media campaigns
  asthma management surveys (GPs, pharmacists, adults, children)

1991 – 1992

• Launch of Paediatric Asthma Management Plan (later incorporated into AMH)
• Launch of Pharmacists’ Asthma Management Plan (later incorporated into AMH)
• Geoff Marsh television campaign – preventer medication
• Launch of asthma action plan card (credit card size) with young Olympians
• All pharmaceutical companies in asthma involved
• Launch of The Report on the Cost of Asthma

1990

• Asthma Management Handbook and NAC launched!
• GP media asthma features, and GP asthma workshops followed

Late 1980s

• Response to media with regard to media deaths
  Brings together major asthma stakeholders
• Glaxo initiative
• Improve asthma management
• Reduce deaths
   

Initial Asthma Stakeholders – NAC

• The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand,
  The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners,
  the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia,
  some Asthma Foundations,
  individual experts (epidemiology and asthma)
• ‘Could it be asthma?’ – television, print, radio
  Evaluated and published
• First country to do multimedia asthma campaign
• Baseline national multicentre survey of asthma management practices of children and adults
• Baseline national surveys of GP and pharmacist asthma management practices

Asthma Guidelines

• Woolcock A, Rubinfeld AR, Seale JP, Landau L, Antic, R, Mitchell C, et al.  Asthma Management Plan. MJA, December 1989.
• TSANZ asked NAC to get Asthma Management Plan to GPs
• Asthma Management Plan rewritten into practical handbook

1980s - Why the NAC was formed

• High asthma mortality rate in 1980s
• Media outcry and public concern
• Increasing prevalence
• No national co-ordination
• Response to a recognised need (NHMRC report, 1988)