Norman Swan

I thought we'd knocked it off.

Reduced mortality rates in asthma, you know, done and dusted.

We're telling people not to use the blue puffer.

We can just relax, but obviously not.

So just to explain, it's got a long-acting version of Ventolin in it that's safe when it's along with an anti-inflammatory?

So just before we go on, it sounds to me as if you're blaming the patient for all this, the person with asthma.

You've laid it all on them rather than what might just be pretty poor care on the part of the GP.

Present GPs.

True.

And just finally, I mean, are you shouting into the wind about team-based care?

Because we're seeing increasing fragmentation of the system, pharmacists being allowed to prescribe, which might suit some consumers, various medications that they're being allowed to prescribe.

But it takes away from the coordinating role of general practice.

But even general practice is not well funded to do that.

And they don't know necessarily who's in the team.

How do you actually move?

Is the system working against you here for a very important problem that people have that they don't realize how serious it is?

But the system is working against you in order to create that team.

So is the need for this blueprint an admission that the guideline is inadequate, the national guidelines on care?

Christine, thank you.

And we'll be linked to the blueprint in our show notes.