Local group back COPD launch
LOCAL sufferers helped launch COPD Awareness Week last week with the support of the Irish Pharmacy Union
They also launched a campaign to offer advice and support to the half a million Irish people living with COPD and to raise awareness to help people spot the symptoms and seek early treatment.
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a collective name for two main lung conditions (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) that make it hard for sufferers to breathe due to obstruction in the air passages of their lung. COPD is the most common cause of emergency admissions in Ireland, with 15,000 patients admitted annually. Numbers with the disease are increasing and many patients are not yet diagnosed. It is the fourth most common cause of death in Ireland after lung cancer, heart disease and stroke.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign Daragh Connolly, community pharmacist and IPU President said, “At present there is no cure for COPD. However, there are things you can do to make it easier to live with COPD and to slow down the progress of the disease. Pharmacists have a vital role to play in this regard and are important in identifying undiagnosed COPD in a patient. People who are regularly looking for over-the-counter cough remedies should be advised to seek further investigation.”
Damien Peelo, Executive Director of COPD Support Ireland, said: “COPD Support Ireland is delighted to be working in collaboration with the Irish Pharmacy Union. COPD continues to be a major health issue in Ireland with an estimated 200,000 people diagnosed with COPD. Already, we have the highest rate of hospitalisation for COPD in a survey of 31 countries in the OECD. There are many more undiagnosed people, up to 300,000 in the community, who also need appropriate treatment and care.’