Asthma control / Reliever overuse 2021-2022 (AIHW)

Analysis of PBS data indicates that:

• 18% of people 40 and under being dispensed a reliever were dispensed at least 3 relievers within 12 months (overuse) in 2021-2022, compared to 19% in 2020-2021, 18% in 2019-2020, 16% in 2018-2019 and 17% in 2017-2018, and has therefore remained quite stable since 2017-2018 despite a spike in 2020-2021 that may be related to COVID-19 panic buying and bushfires in 2019-2020.
• by age groups, the proportion of reliever overuse (3 or more reliever dispensed within a year) in 2021-2022 was: 10.1% in 0-14 yo; 18.3% in 15-24 yo; 22.3% in 25-34 yo and 26.3% in 35-40 yo

Fig.11:Proportion of people aged 40 and under dispensed at least one reliever, who were dispensed relievers 3 or more times within 12 months, by age and sex, 2017–18 to 2021–22