Dissonance Between Patients’ and Physicians’ Perceptions of Allergic Rhinitis and Effects of Medications

Physicians’ Perspectives

The physicians’ part of the survey revealed some interesting findings about their perceptions of AR patients’ responses and assumptions about medications, said Dr. Hadley. The main implication of the findings was that physicians believe that patients are doing better than they actually are, according to their self-reports. As mentioned earlier, physicians who treat patients with AR need to raise their level of awareness as to the compromising effects of symptoms on quality of life and productivity and the suboptimal efficacy of many allergy medications.

Dr. Hadley said the national survey of patients and physicians was supported by Altana, a drug company. that had developed a nasal spray that has been approved by FDA. Recently, Altana was acquired by a larger European pharmaceutical company. The nasal spray they developed is a good product that can help patients with AR, Dr. Hadley said, but it is not clear whether it will be marketed in the US. Other companies are studying an inhaled corticosteroid in the same drug class called ciclesonide that appears to provide relief of asthma and of symptoms of nasal allergies as well.

©2007 The Triological Society