Oral corticosteroid use in asthma: what’s safe and appropriate?

This information sheet provides concise information for primary care health professionals, based on the National Asthma Council’s updated Australian Asthma Handbook.

For patients with a clinically significant asthma exacerbation, prompt treatment with systemic corticosteroids is indicated to avoid escalation to emergency department attendance, hospitalisation, or life-threatening acute asthma – but we must not encourage people to regard these as a harmless alternative to prevention.

Growing evidence highlights the risks associated with repeated short courses, even at relatively low cumulative doses. Many Australians accumulate a harmful lifetime dose. Systemic corticosteroid exposure can be minimised by:

• optimising asthma treatment to prevent exacerbations
• writing scripts that specify only the required quantity of oral corticosteroids (OCS), with no repeats
• dispensing only the specified quantity of OCS in pharmacies
• educating patients and parents to help reduce inappropriate OCS use in the community.

OCS use indicates the need for a full asthma review to optimise preventive treatment.

View the information sheet by accessing the download button above.

Disclaimer

Although all care has been taken, this information is a general guide only, which is not a substitute for assessment of appropriate courses of treatment on a case-by-case basis. The National Asthma Council Australia expressly disclaims all responsibility (including for negligence) for any loss, damage or personal injury resulting from reliance on the information contained herein.

Acknowledgements

Developed by the National Asthma Council Australia in collaboration with:

Clinical Associate Professor Debbie Rigby
Advanced practice pharmacist

Dr Amanda Lucci
General practitioner

Dr Tom Skinner
Respiratory physician

Dr Kim Watkins
Pharmacist

This information was developed independently by the National Asthma Council Australia with support from Chiesi Australia and AstraZeneca Australia.

© National Asthma Council Australia 2026