Worldwide, most patients with asthma are treated in primary care. Optimal primary care management of asthma is therefore of considerable importance. This IPCRG Guideline paper on the management of asthma in primary care is fully consistent with GINA guidelines. It is split into two sections, the first on the management of adults and schoolchildren, and the second on the management of pre-school children. It highlights the treatment goals for asthma and gives an overview of optimal management including the topics which should be covered by the primary care health professional when educating a patient about asthma. It covers the classification of the disease, the stepwise approach to pharmacologic therapy, disease monitoring, the management of exacerbations, and the identification of patients at risk of asthma death.