Influence of Saharan Dust Intrusions on Respiratory Medication Dispensing

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Respiratory Medicine
• Pharmacoeconomics

Background:

• Saharan dust intrusions (SDIs) impact air quality and respiratory health.
• The effect of SDIs on real-world inhaler use is not well understood.
• This study investigates SDI association with inhaler dispensing in the Canary Islands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the link between Saharan dust intrusions and the dispensing of short-acting beta-agonists (SABA) and inhaled corticosteroid-long-acting beta-agonist (ICS-LABA) inhalers.
• To assess the impact of SDI presence, frequency, and intensity on medication use.
• To explore seasonal variations in these associations.

Main Methods:

• Collected pharmaceutical sales data for SABA and ICS-LABA from 60 pharmacies (June 2017-May 2022).
• Identified SDI days using PM10 concentrations > 40 µg/m³.
• Employed linear regression models, adjusting for seasonality.

Main Results:

• SDIs were linked to higher ICS-LABA dispensations (+5.7% in Tenerife, +10.2% in Gran Canaria), but not SABA.
• ICS-LABA sales showed a significant correlation with SDI frequency and PM10 levels.
• The association between SDIs and ICS-LABA dispensing was stronger in winter months.

Conclusions:

• Saharan dust intrusions are independently associated with increased ICS-LABA dispensing, particularly in winter.
• Inhaler dispensing data can serve as a population-level indicator of respiratory health impacts from airborne pollution.
• Integrating environmental alerts into respiratory care strategies is supported by these findings.