Asthma

CONTINUED CARE, SAFE SUPPLY

If you live with asthma, running low on your inhaler is a worry you do not need. Fill out a confidential online form and a UK-registered prescriber will review it. If appropriate, your usual treatment is dispensed by our GPhC-registered pharmacy and delivered to your door.

Start your free online form Takes a few minutes and is reviewed by a UK prescriber. Treatment is supplied only if approved.
  • Fill out a short form
  • Reviewed by a prescriber
  • Delivered if approved
  • GPhC-registered pharmacy
  • Confidential plain packaging

The condition

Understanding asthma

Asthma is a long-term condition where the airways are sensitive and inflamed, tightening in response to triggers such as pollen, dust, exercise, cold air or infections. It causes wheezing, coughing, a tight chest and breathlessness. Millions of people in the UK live with asthma, and with the right treatment and regular reviews, most keep it well controlled.

Our service supports people who have already been diagnosed with asthma and need continued supply of their usual treatment. It is not a diagnosis service. If you have breathing symptoms and have never been diagnosed, see your GP first, because getting the diagnosis right is the foundation of safe care.

Know the signs

Signs your asthma may not be well controlled

Well-controlled asthma should barely interrupt your life. If any of the following sound familiar, your treatment needs reviewing, and it is worth saying so in your form.

  • Needing your reliever inhaler more than three times a week
  • Waking at night coughing, wheezing or breathless
  • Symptoms limiting exercise, work or daily activities
  • Getting through reliever inhalers noticeably faster than before

When to see a doctor

Contact your GP or asthma nurse urgently if your symptoms are getting worse over days, you are using your reliever more and more, or a cold is going to your chest and not shifting.

  • Your reliever inhaler is not helping, or relief does not last 4 hours
  • You are too breathless to speak, eat or sleep
  • Your breathing is getting faster and you cannot catch your breath
  • Your lips or fingers look blue, grey or pale

The signs above are an asthma attack. Call 999 immediately, sit upright, and use your reliever inhaler as your asthma action plan directs while you wait. Do not lie down, and do not wait to see if it passes. For urgent advice that is not an emergency, call NHS 111.

Our clinic model

How it works at Medicosmetic

Fill out a short medical form

Answer a confidential set of health questions online. It takes a few minutes and can be done in private, at any time. We carry out identity checks to keep the service safe.

Reviewed by a UK-registered prescriber

A prescriber checks that you have a confirmed asthma diagnosis, reviews how your asthma has been, and approves supply only if it is clinically appropriate. If your answers suggest your asthma is poorly controlled, they will direct you to your GP or asthma nurse instead of simply supplying more.

Delivered discreetly if approved

Once approved, your treatment is checked and dispensed by our pharmacist at Erdington Community Pharmacy, then posted in plain, unbranded packaging with tracking.

This service is for people already diagnosed with asthma. We strongly encourage you to keep up your annual asthma review with your GP or asthma nurse, and to let them know about any supply from us so your records stay complete. You are not charged for medicine that is not supplied.

Start your form

Evidence-based options

Treatment approaches

Asthma treatment usually involves two kinds of inhaler. Reliever inhalers, usually blue, open the airways within minutes and are used when symptoms strike. Preventer inhalers are taken every day, even when you feel well, and work over time to calm the inflammation in your airways so symptoms happen less in the first place. Many people also have a written asthma action plan agreed with their GP or asthma nurse, which sets out exactly what to do as symptoms change.

Here is the part that saves lives. Relying on your blue reliever alone is a warning sign, not a solution, because frequent reliever use means the underlying inflammation is not being treated. If you need your reliever more than three times a week, your asthma needs reviewing, not just more inhalers. Avoiding your triggers, taking your preventer every day and keeping your annual review all matter as much as the medicines themselves.

Compare your options

Treatment options and pricing

The information below explains the main types of asthma treatment factually, to help you tell us in your form what you currently use. Supply is approved only where it is clinically appropriate, and a prescriber who is concerned about your control will direct you to your GP or asthma nurse.

Reliever inhalers (usually blue)

From £XX including consultation and delivery

  • How it's takenInhaled when symptoms strike
  • Starts workingWithin minutes
  • LastsUp to 4 hours of relief

For quick relief. Needing it more than three times a week is a sign your asthma needs reviewing.

Check my suitability

Preventer inhalers

From £XX including consultation and delivery

  • How it's takenEvery day, even when you feel well
  • Starts workingBuilds over days to weeks
  • LastsOngoing protection while used daily

Calms airway inflammation so symptoms happen less. The foundation of good asthma control.

Check my suitability

Asthma control check

Included with every request

  • How it's takenA few extra questions in your form
  • Starts workingReviewed with every supply
  • LastsFlags problems before they grow

Every request is screened for signs of poor control. If we spot them, we say so and point you to the right care.

Check my suitability

Prices shown include the consultation, prescription, dispensing and delivery. Treatment is supplied only if approved by a UK-registered prescriber following your online form. Supply is never guaranteed, and you are not charged for medicine that is not supplied. Information above is factual and does not replace clinical advice.

Trusted care

Why Medicosmetic

GPhC-registered pharmacy

Medicosmetic is a trading name of Erdington Community Pharmacy (Premises No. 1107990). Verify on the GPhC register.

Named Superintendent Pharmacist

Mohammad Luqman Ghani (GPhC 2220694) oversees our pharmacy services.

UK-registered prescribers

Every form is reviewed by a clinician registered to prescribe in the UK.

Genuine UK-sourced medicines

Dispensed by our own pharmacy, never third-party marketplaces.

Discreet by design

Plain packaging, tracked delivery, and confidential handling of your information.

Straightforward next steps

If treatment is not suitable, we explain why and signpost you to the right care, usually your GP.

Common questions

Asthma FAQs

Can I get my asthma inhaler online in the UK?
Yes, if you have already been diagnosed with asthma, through a registered online pharmacy with prescriber review. You complete a confidential form about your diagnosis and current treatment, a UK-registered prescriber reviews it, and your usual treatment is supplied only if clinically appropriate. This service does not diagnose asthma, so new breathing symptoms need your GP first.
What is the difference between blue and brown inhalers?
Blue reliever inhalers open the airways within minutes and are used when symptoms strike. Preventer inhalers, often brown, are taken every day and work over time to calm the inflammation behind your asthma, so symptoms happen less in the first place. Most people with asthma need both, used in different ways.
Why do I need a preventer if my blue inhaler works?
Because the blue inhaler relieves symptoms without treating the inflammation that causes them. Relying on it alone lets that inflammation build, which makes serious attacks more likely. Taking your preventer every day, even when you feel completely well, is what keeps asthma controlled. This is one of the most important things to understand about asthma.
How often should I be using my reliever inhaler?
Occasionally. If you need your reliever more than three times a week, wake at night with symptoms, or are getting through inhalers faster than before, your asthma is not as controlled as it should be. That is not a reason to order more relievers, it is a reason to book a review with your GP or asthma nurse.
What if I have completely run out of my inhaler?
Do not wait until you are struggling. Complete our form as early as you can, and if you are out of medicine and symptomatic, contact a local pharmacy about an emergency supply, call NHS 111, or contact your GP today. If you are having symptoms now that your reliever cannot help, treat it as an emergency and call 999.
Do I still need asthma reviews with my GP?
Yes, absolutely. An annual asthma review with your GP or asthma nurse checks your inhaler technique, your action plan and whether your treatment still suits you, and it remains essential alongside any online supply. We encourage you to keep your reviews up to date and to let your GP know about any supply from us.
Can I use this service if I have never been diagnosed with asthma?
No. Breathing symptoms can have several causes, and inhalers are only right once asthma has been properly confirmed. If you have wheeze, cough or breathlessness and no diagnosis, see your GP, who can arrange the right tests. Getting the diagnosis right first is what makes everything after it safe.

Ready to start? It begins with a short form

Fill out a confidential medical form, choose your preferred treatment and, if approved by our prescriber, have it dispensed by our pharmacist and delivered discreetly to your door.

Start your free online form