Reducing carbon footprint by switching to reusable soft-mist inhalers

What is it about?

Inhalers are the most common form of treatment for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There are three types of inhalers: pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs), dry powder inhalers (DPIs), and soft mist inhalers (SMIs). These three inhaler types can contain inhaled medication alone or in combination, dependent upon the patient’s needs. Long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs), alone or in combination with long-acting beta agonists (LABAs), are commonly used. While each handheld inhaler type works in the same fundamental way, they each have different carbon footprints, with pMDIs having a higher carbon footprint compared with DPIs or SMIs, due to the need for powerful greenhouse gases. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are common diseases, and in England, pMDI use is responsible for nearly 1 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year. This has prompted several global and regional organisations and governments to design and implement measures to reduce emissions in the healthcare sector. Replacement of pMDIs with a lower carbon inhaler device, but keeping the medication the same, could reduce the carbon footprint of inhaled medication. This study developed a model to assess the change in carbon footprint of hypothetically replacing LAMA or LAMA/LABA inhalers with a low carbon inhaler, SMI (Respimat Reusable). The model shows that replacement of pMDIs and DPIs with SMIs, would result in substantial reductions in CO2 equivalent emissions.

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