Introduction: There are no validated decision-making algorithms concerning severe asthma (SA) management. Future risks are crucial factors and can be derived from SA trajectories.
Areas Covered: The future severe asthma-decision trees should revisit current knowledge and gaps.
Objective: To estimate the level of dispensing of oral corticosteroids (OCS) for managing asthma in Australia, with a particular focus on the cumulative dispensing of doses associated with long term toxicity (≥ 1000 mg prednisolone-equivalent).
Design: Retrospective cohort study; analysis of 10% random sample of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) dispensing data.
Participants, Setting: People aged 12 years or more treated for asthma during 2014-2018, according to dispensing of controller inhaled corticosteroids (ICS).