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Search our archive for materials older than three years. PCRS takes no responsibility for the content of archived material.

293 results
Time to review: 15 minutes
Type: PCRS Position Statement Clinical Area: Tobacco smoking and nicotine Status: Current

PCRS believe that it is the responsibility of every healthcare professional to treat tobacco dependency systematically and effectively. PCRS advocate that people wishing to quit using tobacco should be offered the most effective but also the least harmful methods first to support a quit attempt. Delivery of stop smoking treatment is challenging due to reduced stop smoking services and a current lack of licensed pharmacotherapies. Prescribed NRT, combining short and long acting versions, along with behavioural support is currently the primary treatment choice.

Time to review: 15 minutes

PCRS recognises a need for improvement in the timely diagnosis of people living with chronic breathlessness and generally welcomes the NHS England diagnostic pathway support tool. PCRS has some concerns that a diagnostic algorithm can communicate an oversimplification of diagnosis. We are disappointed that this pathway will not be accompanied by the long awaited and hoped for, but now deprioritised, NICE Breathlessness guideline.

Type: PCRS Position Statement Clinical Area: Greener Healthcare, Inhaler devices Status: Current

Concerns about the environmental impact of the propellant gases used in pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) and the plastics used in all single-use inhaler devices have made them an important focus for efforts to reduce the environmental impact of the NHS. Patients themselves may also be concerned about the environmental impact of their inhalers and express a preference for alternatives. PCRS do not support ‘blanket switching’ of patients from one inhaler type to another.

Time to review: 15 minutes
Type: Clinical resource or information, PCRU Clinical Area: Asthma Status: Current

In 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the use of a dual (Inhaled corticosteroid/ Formoterol) combination treatment to be used as a reliever therapy for people aged 12 and over with the therapy choice situated early in the asthma treatment pathway as an alternative to its current use as a preventer or MART therapy sitting later in traditional treatment pathways.

Time to review: 15 minutes
Type: Videos / Webinars Clinical Area: Health inequalities Status: Current

Time to review: 15 minutes
Type: PCRS Position Statement Clinical Area: COPD Status: Current

PCRS advocate a pragmatic approach to the pharmacological management of patients with COPD guided by the predominance of breathlessness and/or exacerbations and the presence or absence of comorbid asthma. Clinicians must undertake a holistic evaluation for alternative causes of persistent daily symptoms or repeated exacerbations and consider seeking advice from a respiratory specialist before escalating to triple therapy (a respiratory specialist may be a GP/nurse/consultant).

Time to review: 15 minutes
Type: Health policy information Clinical Area: Health inequalities Status: Current

The report explored the link between inequality and lung disease and the primary conclusions were:

Time to review: 15 minutes
Type: Other information Clinical Area: Asthma, Respiratory tests and investigations Status: Current

A new report is showcasing the impact of a national AHSN Network programme to improve access to FeNO testing for asthma diagnosis. Fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) tests are simple, non-invasive tests to support the diagnosis of asthma. During the two-year programme an estimated 58,000 new asthmatics received a faster, more accurate diagnosis through the use of FeNO testing with an additional 1,200 devices entering use in primary care in England.