Medical Journal of Australia News

The study found that more than one-quarter of asthma patients have been prescribed potentially dangerous amounts of steroid tablets. With the findings, researchers warned that the prescription of dangerous amounts of steroid tablets puts them at greater risk of serious side-effects. Researchers, led by University of Queensland Professor John Upham, analysed data from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to find out how often Australians with asthma were taking repeated courses of steroid tablets. Professor Upham said the study looked at more than 120,000 cases where asthma patients were given one or more prescriptions for steroid tablets by their doctor between 2014 and 2018.

 While acupuncture is widely used by practitioners in community settings for treating pain, it is rarely used in hospital emergency departments, researchers said.