Asthma costs €463m annually, says report

Asthma-related complaints cost the healthcare system an estimated €463 million annually, according to a new study.

Almost half of this figure is spent on emergency care and hospitalisation - which asthma support groups say is a result of "treatment failure".

The study says there are between 36,000 and 37,000 asthma-related hospital admissions per year, with on average 12 per cent of asthma patients visiting the accident and emergency department at least once a year.

The economic burden and personal impact of asthma will be discussed at a special conference in Dublin later today to mark World Asthma Day.

Dr Reggie Spellman chairman of the Asthma Society Primary Care Group said: "The evidence shows that most people with asthma in Ireland do not receive appropriate treatment and experience symptoms on a regular basis.

"Many experience acute exacerbations resulting in emergency care and hospital admissions. This has a huge financial impact that could be avoided by appropriate treatment and management," he said.

The study, which was conducted by GlaxoSmithKline in association with the Asthma Society of Ireland (ASI), found the cost of asthma per annum to the individual sufferer is €1,711. This figure almost doubles for patients suffering from more severe asthma.

The study also found there were 38,529 emergency nebulisations - a treatment for people with breathing difficulties - among General Medical Scheme patients in 2001.

According to internationally recognised guidelines, the need for emergency nebulisation treatment represents "treatment failure".