This indicator shows the number and percent of people aged 12-44 years who were regularly dispensed SMART Formoterol/Budesonide therapy. Regular dispensing was defined as dispensing in two or more quarters in the year. This indicator measures uptake of this inhaler, relative to other asthma inhalers. Specifically, of all people who were dispensed any asthma inhaler (SABA, LABA, ICS or LABA/ICS combination), what percentage were dispensed a combined budesonide + formoterol inhaler.
Single Maintenance And Reliever Therapy (SMART) with Formoterol/ICS provides a comprehensive approach to asthma management. It provides both immediate symptom relief and long-term control, helping to reduce exacerbations, and improve treatment adherence. This approach uses a single inhaler for both maintenance and reliever therapy, simplifying. SMART therapy is particularly recommended for individuals aged 12 and over with moderate to severe asthma. Understanding variation in the dispensing of SMART therapy for asthma is important for ensuring that patients receive the most appropriate treatment.
PHO enrolled population aged 12–44 years who received a combined budesonide + formoterol inhaler in the calendar year.
Numerator detail
Numerator: Chemical ID 3758 Budesonide with eformoterol. Include formulation IDs 375825, 375826, 375828, 375829 and 375830
Numerator exclusions
Formulation IDs 375827 and 3758318
Denominator:
SABA: 209606, 209609, 209611, 209612, 209613, 209614, 209615, 209616, 209617 Salbutamol; 240406, 240407, 240408, 240409, 240410, 240425 Terbutaline Sulphate
LABA: 106601, 106602, 106603 & 106625 Salmeterol; 108301, 108302 & 108303 Eformoterol fumarate; 404225 & 404226 Indacaterol; 411225 Eformoterol fumarate dihydrate
ICS: 110801,110802, 110803, 110804, 110805, 110806, 110807, 110808, 110809, 110815, 110816, 110825, 110826 & 110827 Beclomethasone dipropionate; 116801, 116802, 116803, 116804 & 116805 Budesonide; 106501, 106502, 106503, 106504, 106505, 106506, 106507, 106508, 106509, 106510, 106511, 106512, 106513, 106514 & 106525 Fluticasone
LABA/ICS: 375825, 375826, 375827, 375828, 375829, 375830 & 375831 Budesonide with eformoterol; 385825, 385826, 385827 & 385828 Fluticasone with salmeterol; 405625 Fluticasone furoate with vilanterol
Disaggregation
District analysis: By year (2018 –2023), age group (12 –24, 25 –44), gender (female, male), ethnic group (Māori, Pacific peoples, European/Other), and Health New Zealand district of domicile.
PHO analysis: By year (2023), age group, gender, Primary Health Organisation (PHO) most recently enrolled with (for the relevant year), PHO group (small, medium, medium-large and large).
People who were excluded from analysis include:
- those who aren’t enrolled in a PHO in the calendar year. This allowed us to use the number of PHO-enrolled people as the denominator.
- individuals with missing demographics – that is, those with no recorded value for one or more of the NHI fields used to derive the demographic variables of interest (age, gender, ethnicity and district of domicile). For instance, if there are any missing values for age, they are excluded from all analyses. This approach ensures a consistent denominator throughout the analyses.
Age group is assigned using 30 June of each calendar year as the cutoff point. For example, if a person turned 45 years old on 1 July 2023, they will still be considered 44 years old for 2023.
People who died during the calendar year were excluded from the analyses of this indicator.
Data is not presented where the number of people in the numerator was less than 10. This is to preserve confidentiality.
In contrast to other atlases, and following advice, we defined regular dispensing as the medication dispensed in two or more quarters of the calendar year. The reason for this difference is that some inhalers can last for more than three months.