Prescribing appropriate antifibrotic treatment for patients with progressive IPF
- Anti-fibrotic therapy is difficult to tolerate with a high side effect profile. Patients should only be prescribed this treatment when there is confirmed fibrotic lung disease with evidence of physiological progression. Ideally this should have been reviewed at an IPF multi-disciplinary team meeting before initiation of therapy.
- There is no conclusive evidence to support use of any medicines to increase the survival of people with IPF70 however NICE technology appraisals for pirfenidone or nintedanib should be consulted prior to prescribing.71,72
- IPF therapy is currently included in the NHS Scotland Patient Access Scheme which improves the cost effectiveness of nintedanib and pirfenidone.73