Patterns of asthma medication use and hospital discharges in New Zealand.

Background: In New Zealand a progressive increase in budesonide/formoterol dispensing, accompanied by a reduction in dispensing of short-acting β-agonists (SABAs), inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs), and other ICS/long-acting β-agonists (ICSs/LABAs), occurred in the 18-month period following publication of the 2020 New Zealand asthma guidelines, which recommended budesonide/formoterol anti-inflammatory reliever therapy.

Objective: Our aim was to investigate more recent trends in asthma medication use and asthma hospital discharges in New Zealand.

Methods: New Zealand national dispensing data for inhalers for the period from January 2010 to December 2022 were reviewed for patients aged 12 years and older.