Doctors are not following the recommended asthma guidelines and are underprescribing controller medications while overprescribing rescue drugs for patients who visit the emergency room, suggests a nationwide study by the American College of Chest Physicians, Northbrook, Ill

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Oct, 2005

> Doctors are not following the recommended asthma guidelines and are underprescribing controller medications while overprescribing rescue drugs for patients who visit the emergency room, suggests a nationwide study by the American College of Chest Physicians, Northbrook, Ill. Even though evidence-based guidelines for asthma advocate inhaled corticosteroid therapy, researchers found that only one-fourth of patients received ICS therapy in the year before their emergency room visit, while more than 80% were given rescue medications, with one-third prescribed an oral corticosteroid and over half a short-acting beta agonist.