Background: Inhaler shortages were reported in the UK following declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting advice against stockpiling.
Aim: To understand experiences and behaviours of patients with asthma requesting prescriptions from primary care during asthma medication shortages.
Design & setting: UK asthma online community, between March and December 2020.
Method: Thematic analysis of posts identified using search terms 'shortage', 'out of stock', 'prescribe', and 'prescription'.
Results: Sixty-seven participants were identified (48 adults, two children, 17 unstated age). Factors leading to increased requests included the following: stockpiling; early ordering; realising inhalers were out of date; and doctors prescribing multiple medication items. Patients' anxieties that could lead to stockpiling included the following: fear of asthma attacks leading to admission and acquiring COVID-19 in hospital; lack of dose counters on some inhalers; and believing a lower amount of drug is delivered in the last actuations. Strategies adopted in relation to shortages or changes in treatment owing to out-of-stock medications included the following: starting stockpiling; ordering prescriptions early; contacting medical professionals for advice or alternative prescriptions; getting 'emergency prescriptions'; ordering online or privately; seeking medications in different pharmacies; contacting drug manufacturers; and keeping track of number of doses left in canisters. No evidence was found of anxiety-triggered asthma symptoms that required medications due to fear of COVID-19. Participants seemed to disregard advice against stockpiling.
Conclusion: Better preparation is a key lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinicians, the pharmaceutical industry, and policymakers should use insights from this work to plan how to better manage medication shortages in future emergency situations.
Keywords: COVID-19; asthma; coronavirus; inhalers; online community; pandemics; qualitative research; shortage.
Copyright © 2022, The Authors.