Ban AY, Vengadasalam P, Taher SW, Mohd Zim MA, Sirol Aflah SS, Daut UN, Hyder Ali IA, Pereirasamy L, Omar A, Ibrahim A, Mohd Tarekh NA, Chan SK, Ali N, Mohd Isa NA, Hussain H, Abdul Karim N, Raja Gopal V, Chiam SY, and Beekman MJHI
Introduction: SABINA III assessed short-acting β 2 -agonist (SABA) prescription patterns and their association with asthma-related outcomes globally. Herein, we examined SABA prescription and clinical outcomes in the Malaysian cohort of SABINA III., Method: In this observational, cross-sectional study, patients (≥12 years) were recruited between July and December 2019 from 15 primary and specialty care centres in Malaysia. Prescribed asthma treatments and severe exacerbation history within 12 months prior and asthma symptom control during the study visit were evaluated. Associations of SABA prescription with asthma control and severe exacerbation were analysed using multivariable regression models., Results: Seven hundred thirty-one patients (primary care, n=265 [36.3%]; specialty care, n=466 [63.7%]) were evaluated. The prevalence of SABA over-prescription (≥3 SABA prescriptions/year) was 47.4% (primary care, 47.1%; specialty care, 47.6%), 51.8% and 44.5% among all patients and patients with mild and moderate-to-severe asthma, respectively. Altogether 9.0% (n=66) purchased SABA without a prescription; among them, 43.9% (n=29) purchased ≥3 inhalers. The mean (standard deviation) number of severe asthma exacerbations was 1.38 (2.76), and 19.7% (n=144) and 25.7% (n=188) had uncontrolled and partly controlled symptoms, respectively. Prescriptions of ≥3 SABA inhalers (vs 1-2) were associated with lower odds of at least partly controlled asthma (odds ratio=0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.27-0.67) and higher odds of having severe exacerbation(s) (odds ratio=2.04; 95% CI=1.44-2.89)., Conclusion: The prevalence of SABA over-prescription in Malaysia is high, regardless of the prescriber type, emphasising the need for healthcare providers and policymakers to adopt latest evidence-based recommendations to address this public health concern., Competing Interests: Andrea Yu-Lin Ban received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis and Bayer Co. as well as travel support and sample drugs from AstraZeneca and served as an advisory board member of the ‘Use of ICS/LABA in Covid-19’ for AstraZeneca and a committee member of the Malaysian Thoracic Society. Paranthaman Vengdasalam received honoraria from AstraZeneca and Mundipharma Pharmaceuticals as well as travel support and sample drugs from AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical and served as a member of the MFP Editorial Board, Perak Medical Journal Editorial Board, Academy of Family Physician Malaysia and GCFM Post graduate board. Sri Wahyu Taher received honoraria from AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical and Novo Nordisk Pharma as well as travel support from AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk Pharma and Sanofi-Aventis and sample drugs from AstraZeneca and served as an advisory board member of Novo Nordisk Pharma and president of the Family Medicine Specialist Association Malaysia. Mohd Arif Mohd Zim received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Orient EuroPharma, Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical as well as travel support and sample drugs from AstraZeneca and served on the Severe Asthma Advisory Board for AstraZeneca and as a member of PRECISION (Severe Asthma Working Group) for AstraZeneca and the Malaysian Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology. Syazatul Syakirin Sirol Aflah received honoraria from AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical, Orient EuroPharma and Mundipharma Pharmaceuticals as well as travel support from AstraZeneca and Mundipharma Pharmaceuticals and served as a committee member of the Malaysian Thoracic Society. Ummi Nadira Daut received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Orient EuroPharma, Novartis Corporation and GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical and travel support from AstraZeneca. Irfhan Ali Hyder Ali received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Orient EuroPharma, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical and Pfizer as well as travel support from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Orient EuroPharma, Novartis and Pfizer and sample drugs from AstraZeneca, Novartis and Boehringer Ingelheim and served as a committee member of the Malaysian Thoracic Society, head of the Respiratory Services, Malaysia and head of the Respiratory Department, Penang Hospital. Lalitha Pereirasamy received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical as well as travel support and sample drugs from AstraZeneca and served as a committee member of the Malaysian Thoracic Society. Azza Omar received honoraria from AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Orient EuroPharma, Sanofi-Aventis and Mundipharma Pharmaceuticals as well as travel support and sample drugs from AstraZeneca and served as a committee member and ‘Severe Asthma Diagnostic Consensus’ lead of the Malaysian Thoracic Society and a member of PRECISION (Severe Asthma Working Group) for AstraZeneca. Aishah Ibrahim received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Orient EuroPharma and GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical as well as travel support and sample drugs from AstraZeneca and served as a committee member of the Malaysian Thoracic Society. Noor Aliza Mohd Tarekh received honoraria, travel support and sample drugs from AstraZeneca. Norsiah Ali received honoraria, travel support and sample drugs from AstraZeneca and served as a past-president of the Family Medicine Specialist Association, Malaysia. Nor Azila Mohd Isa received honoraria, travel support and sample drugs from AstraZeneca and served as a member of the Family Medicine Specialist Association, Malaysian Thoracic Society and Islamic Medical Association, Malaysia. Husni Hussain received honoraria and travel support from AstraZeneca and served as a committee member of the Family Medicine Specialist Selangor Association. Vieshal Raja Gopal and Sue Yin Chiam are employees of AstraZeneca. Maarten J.H.I. Beekman was an employee of AstraZeneca at the time the study was conducted and holds stocks of AstraZeneca. Swee Kim Chan and Noraziah Abdul Karim have nothing to disclose., (© Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia.)