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Asthma Patients Must Switch Inhalers
In an effort to help the environment, U.S. health officials are phasing out asthma inhalers that contain ozone-depleting CFCs.
30-Second Summary
By the end of 2008, asthma patients who use inhalers containing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) will be relying on something more environmentally friendly.
The CFCs in current inhalers help propel the medicine that relaxes airways during an asthma attack into the lungs. However, CFCs are harmful to the environment, particularly the earth’s ozone layer.
As a result, U.S. health officials are mandating a change to inhalers powered by hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs), which won’t hurt the ozone.
This change has been coming for several years, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently reminded patients that CFC inhalers will be discontinued soon.
The organization wants asthma patients to speak to their physicians now about finding an alternative for their current inhalers. HFA inhalers will likely taste and feel different when used; they must also be primed and cleaned differently, so there will be a bit of a “learning curve.”
Despite the fact that the medication has some differences, the FDA said it wanted “to emphasize that HFA-propelled albuterol inhalers are safe and effective replacements for CFC-propelled albuterol inhalers.
According to Dr. Badrul Chowdhury, director of the FDA’s Division of Pulmonary and Allergy Products, approximately 65 percent of inhaler users are already using HFA-propelled products.
The CFCs in current inhalers help propel the medicine that relaxes airways during an asthma attack into the lungs. However, CFCs are harmful to the environment, particularly the earth’s ozone layer.
As a result, U.S. health officials are mandating a change to inhalers powered by hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs), which won’t hurt the ozone.
This change has been coming for several years, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently reminded patients that CFC inhalers will be discontinued soon.
The organization wants asthma patients to speak to their physicians now about finding an alternative for their current inhalers. HFA inhalers will likely taste and feel different when used; they must also be primed and cleaned differently, so there will be a bit of a “learning curve.”
Despite the fact that the medication has some differences, the FDA said it wanted “to emphasize that HFA-propelled albuterol inhalers are safe and effective replacements for CFC-propelled albuterol inhalers.
According to Dr. Badrul Chowdhury, director of the FDA’s Division of Pulmonary and Allergy Products, approximately 65 percent of inhaler users are already using HFA-propelled products.
Headline Links: New asthma inhalers
CFC-propelled inhalers are on their way out of U.S. markets due to the provisions of the U.S. Clean Air Act and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, an international environmental treaty.
Source: Food and Drug Administration
The only manufacturer still producing CFC inhalers is Armstrong Pharmaceuticals, which will likely stop producing them before the ban takes effect. Remaining CFC inhalers will be sold through the end of 2008.
Source: ABC News
Reactions: Effectiveness of HFA inhalers
The effectiveness of CFC inhalers and HFA inhalers is essentially the same, according Dr. Ira Finegold, chief of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City. “The end result—if you need it, does it open up your lungs? Yes it does,” he stated.
Source: The Washington Post
While the new inhalers may be effective, making the switch won't be easy for some asthma patients, according to the New York Times. The old, generic inhalers cost a third of the price of CFC-free inhalers, which are brand name products. And some patients say they've had little or no instruction about how to prime, clean and use their new inhalers. Nancy Sander, president of Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics, said the pricing and education problems have caused a great deal of fear for asthma patients.
Source: The New York Times
Reference: Asthma resources
The American Lung Association explains the basics of CFC-free inhalers and what asthma patients should know about making a transition to a new inhaler. Pharmacists won’t be able to substitute a CFC inhaler for an HFA inhaler; patients will need to talk to their physicians first and obtain a new prescription.
Source: American Lung Association
The findingDulcinea Asthma Web Guide recommends some of the best online resources for learning what asthma is, how it is diagnosed and treated and where asthma sufferers can find support if they need it.
Source: findingDulcinea
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