- A recent survey has shown a lack of familiarity among some primary care physicians regarding asthma biologic drugs.
- Researchers say physicians often defer referrals to asthma specialists until patients experienced multiple exacerbations within a year, indicating potential delays in accessing appropriate treatment.
- They say these findings underscore a need for improved communication between primary care physicians and specialists to ensure timely and appropriate utilization of biologic treatments.
- Experts do urge caution to avoid an increase in the inappropriate use of biologic agents for asthma.
Biological therapies for asthma were introduced around two decades ago.
Since their release, an increasing number of people with asthma have found them to be effective in managing their symptoms.
However, a survey presented at the 2023 American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual scientific meeting revealed that 42% of primary care physicians had limited experience with biological therapies for asthma.
According to the results of the survey, some physicians were unaware of the criteria for initiating such treatments, including the necessity for laboratory assessments, and often delayed referrals to asthma specialists until patients had experienced multiple exacerbations within a year.
The researchers who conducted this survey, which hasn’t been published yet in a peer-reviewed journal, said their goal was to investigate the extent of primary care physicians’ familiarity with asthma biologics.
As part of the survey, the researchers examined the timing of primary care physicians’ referrals of asthma patients with uncontrolled symptoms to asthma specialists and assessed their awareness of the eligibility criteria for initiating biologic treatment.
The questionnaire was distributed electronically to the doctors, including attending and resident…
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