With 5.4 million people in the UK currently diagnosed and receiving treatment for asthma, one in five households is now affected by this respiratory condition. On average, three people a day die from asthma, but as many as 90 per cent of these deaths could have been prevented with appropriate management of the condition – something highlighted earlier this month in an alarming Royal College of Physicians report, Why asthma still kills. The UK has one of the highest asthma prevalence rates in Europe and, worldwide, one of the highest prevalence rates in children. Treatment costs the NHS approximately £1 billion a year, with much of this expenditure in primary care. It is therefore beneficial to both patients and the NHS that asthma patients are well controlled. Pharmacy teams are essential in the support of these patients through medicines use reviews (MURs) and the new medicine service (NMS).