Respiratory Group

They regularly run UKCPA learning events for clinical practitioners, speak at national and international conferences, and represent the profession in the media.

The Committee has successfully advised the pharmaceutical industry on how patients use respiratory medicines, and have provided expertise which has influenced national guidelines.

Activity highlights

The Committee led on and co-ordinated a multi-organisational approach to advise GlaxoSmithKline to change the colour of Relvar Ellipta® from blue to yellow. The advice, in collaboration with the Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists, Asthma UK, British Lung Foundation, British Thoracic Society, Education for Health, Primary Care Respiratory Society, Respiratory Education UK, and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, highlighted concerns around the association of the colour blue as a reliever inhaler, and the similarity of the Relvar® brand name to the term “reliever”, which could cause confusion and lead to prescribing errors or for patients to take additional doses during the day. GSK welcomed the advice and the colour of the inhaler was changed.

The UKCPA Respiratory Committee were the also first organisation to publicly advise that inhaled medicines should be prescribed by brand name to ensure that patients receive the correct inhaler device and prevent inadvertent device switches. The Committee worked with the UK Inhaler Group to reinforce this position. As a result, the British Thoracic Society / SIGN Asthma 2016 guidelines made a good practice recommendation stating that “Generic prescribing of inhalers should be avoided as this might lead to people with asthma being given an unfamiliar inhaler device which they are not able to use properly.”