At a news conference at Mater Dei Hospital, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne announced the introduction of new medicines for chronic shortness of breath sufferers, on the government form.
These new drugs, which are long-acting muscarinic antogonists (LAMAs), help those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a chronic condition in the lungs that mainly affects smokers or former smokers.
About 6,000 patients will be benefiting from this initiative. People with COPD are at higher risk of being hospitalized especially in the winter months.
“In addition to investing in new medicines that continue to make a difference in the daily lives of our patients, we are also investing in human resources. The respiratory diseases department has 6 consultants and we are in the process of hiring 3 more consultants “, announced the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Health Chris Fearne.
“With medicines like LAMAs on the government formulary, it will mean that patients with COPD will have their condition more controlled and thus will not have to go to the hospital so often,” he said. -Professor Montefort, consultant on respiratory diseases.
