The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research

As spring arrives, millions of Australians will once again brace themselves for the familiar signs of hay fever — itchy eyes, runny noses, relentless sneezing and the fatigue that can make even everyday tasks feel harder.

For many, these symptoms have become part of the “joys of spring”. But researchers don’t believe they have to be.

Within the Woolcock’s Clinical Management Research Group, a small team of researchers is working to understand why so many people continue to live with poorly controlled allergic rhinitis (or hay fever), despite the availability of effective treatments. Their work is helping to bridge the gap between scientific evidence and everyday healthcare, with the aim of ensuring more Australians get the relief that is already within reach.

The group’s latest study, Allergic Rhinitis Treatment Choice using Discrete Choice Experiments (ARDCE), has explored what people with hay fever value when choosing treatments — providing new insight into the factors that influence their decisions and what they are looking for from their care.

The findings are significant because hay fever is one of the most common respiratory conditions in Australia. Around 24 per cent of Australians report experiencing hay fever, and the majority self-select their treatments to manage their symptoms through pharmacies rather than through a doctor. These people have never had a consultation with a healthcare professional about their hay fever and, therefore, don’t realise there are better options available for managing their symptoms.

So, while effective treatments are available, many continue to experience symptoms that affect their quality of life.

Dr Rachel House says the issue is not that solutions do not exist — it is that many people may not realise there are better options available.

“There are treatments that work, but people are not always choosing the treatment that will give them the best outcome,” Dr House says.

“Many people find something that helps them function and think, ‘I’m okay’. But they may not realise that they could actually achieve much better symptom control.”

For some people, uncontrolled hay fever can affect sleep, concentration, productivity and the ability to participate fully in everyday life. It can also interact with other respiratory conditions, including asthma, meaning effective management can have benefits beyond hay fever symptoms alone.

The ARDCE study used a research method called a discrete choice experiment to better understand patient preferences. More than 1,000 people with hay fever were presented with different treatment scenarios, varying features such as speed of relief, level of symptom improvement, cost and accessibility.

By analysing the choices participants made, researchers were able to identify which treatment features mattered most to patients.

The study found that people value treatments that provide complete symptom relief, work quickly and are affordable. These insights provide important information for healthcare professionals, particularly pharmacists, who are often the first point of contact for people seeking advice about hay fever.

“Most people with hay fever go to the pharmacy rather than the doctor,” Dr House says.

“That means pharmacists are in a really important position to help people understand their options and choose treatments that are more aligned with what they need.”

The findings from the study have been accepted for presentation at the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) conference in September, and the research will also contribute to international discussions around hay fever management through the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines.

But for the Clinical Management Research Group, publishing research is only one part of the journey. The greater challenge is ensuring that evidence reaches the people who can use it — helping shape conversations between patients and healthcare professionals and improving everyday care.

“There is still a lot of work to do,” Dr House says.

“We know a lot about what works, but there is still a gap in making sure that information gets to patients and healthcare professionals in a way that changes outcomes.”

This gap was recently highlighted when Rachel’s Clinical Management group colleague Dr Biljana Cvetkovski presented findings at the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia conference and spoke to pharmacists about how people with hay fever are managing their symptoms. The discussion revealed that many pharmacists were not aware that patients often choose treatments that may not provide the best possible symptom control for them – highlighting the need for stronger communication and education between healthcare professionals and patients.

For the Clinical Management research group, studies like ARDCE are an important first step. By providing independent evidence-based research, the team is helping to shape clinical practice, inform healthcare professionals and improve the way common respiratory conditions are managed.

For young researchers like Rachel, the opportunity to continue that work means building on today’s discoveries to create tomorrow’s improvements in patient care — ensuring that more Australians can breathe easier each spring.

Macquarie University and the Clinical Management research group is currently offering a PhD SPARCO scholarship to study how allergic rhinitis impacts sleep and cognitive functioning in adolescents. Applications close 31 October 2026. The group is also seeking funding to improve hay fever management in the community by developing resources to bridge the gap between guidelines and practice.

Find out more

• Allergic Rhinitis
• Apply for the SPARCO Scholarship
• Our Clinical Management research group
• Dr Biljana Cvetkovski
• Dr Rachel House