THE NATIONAL Asthma Council Australia has launched the Sensitive Choice program, to help people suffering from asthma and allergies better control their condition and avoid triggers.
The Sensitive Choice butterfly symbol will appear on products and services that have passed the National Asthma Council’s formal review process and been approved as a better choice for asthma and allergy.
Panadol (paracetamol 500mg) will become the first analgesic brand to join the program because of its suitability for the vast majority of people with asthma.
More than 12 per cent of all Australians have asthma — and one in five of those could have an attack triggered by a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as aspirin, ibuprofen or diclofenac.
Paracetemol-based products affect less than two per cent of people with asthma and if paracetamol does trigger an asthma attack, it is usually milder and more easily reversed than an attack triggered by NSAIDs.
Kristine Whorlow, chief executive of the National Asthma Council, said the partnership with Panadol represented a good fit for the Sensitive Choice program because many consumers with asthma were uncertain about the most suitable analgesics for them.