Most of us take breathing for granted. You just do it. Like blinking your eyes and swallowing--you don't really give breathing much thought throughout the course of a day. But imagine if sometimes you have to struggle to breathe--imagine you have asthma.
When you have asthma and are experiencing symptoms, there are times when you literally may not be able to catch your breath. If you come across something that triggers your asthma, your airways start to swell and constrict and you have trouble getting air into your lungs--some people compare it to trying to breathe through a straw, or feeling like a fish out of water. More than 20 million Americans have asthma and it's estimated that nearly 300 million people worldwide have this serious, chronic disease. But the good news is there are recommendations and medicines available for people with asthma that can help prevent their symptoms. Having asthma doesn't have to slow you down.
Today, May 4, is World Asthma Day, an annual global initiative to put the spotlight on the importance of asthma awareness and control. In the US, the whole month of May is Asthma Awareness Month. If you or someone you know has asthma, participate in an asthma awareness event in your community; learn more about asthma by watching this public service announcement developed by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America with funding and editorial support by GSK; and visit www.asthma.com for information and resources on how to help prevent asthma symptoms.
Let today be the day you decide to take control of your asthma.
We realize that some patients in the U.S. lack affordable access to medicines--this is a particular problem for uninsured patients. We work closely with health plans like Blue Cross Blue Shield to demonstrate the value of our medicines through patient outcomes data, and we continually seek to price medicines fairly and at a level that reflects their value to patients and payers. You may want to contact your provider and let them know you would like your medicine to be included in their prescription coverage plan.
My comment is: How do you as a company expect people who are working to keep above water, to pay for Advair. I have been using Advair for 4 years. Excellent medicine but Only because my doctor has been giving it to me free. I have a prescription but since it is a non-formulary drug, there is no cover on my Blue Cross Blue Shield. That means I will have to pay $287 a month to be able to breathe. I cannot afford that price and I really need this product. Isn't there something that can be done?