However, switching to greener inhalers is not as simple as it seems. In response to a freedom of information request made by The Pharmaceutical Journal, NHS England & NHS Improvement confirm they have no plans for an inhaler recycling scheme.
Clean Air
Breathing clean air is good for our heart and respiratory health – both in the short term and long-term. Dirty air pollution has been link to heart attacks and strokes, lung disease, asthma and other respiratory conditions, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It can also increase your risk of cancer and other diseases.
It’s also a major global environmental challenge, with dirty air responsible for more deaths each year than war, murder, malaria, car crashes, plane crashes, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and influenza combined. It’s estimate that every minute, ten people die of illness cause by breathing dirty air.
The NHS was the first healthcare system globally to announce ambitions to become net carbon zero, and one of the key ways to do so is shifting away from metered-dose inhalers (MDIs). MDIs have a disproportionate impact on climate change because they contain powerful greenhouse gases – hydrofluoroalkane aerosol propellants.
There are new types of inhalers that don’t use propellants and emit significantly less emissions, which can be equally as effective for treating respiratory conditions. Replacing MDIs with low-emission inhalers would significantly cut the NHS’s carbon footprint and help meet its net zero ambitions.
However, the NHS is currently facing significant financial pressures and switching to lower-emission inhalers may cost more than MDIs.
The NHS needs to weigh the private good of improve health against the public good of mitigating climate change, and decide if the costs of environmentally sustainable inhalers are fair. This is especially important in cases where clinical equivalence between the two devices is unclear. If the NHS does decide that it is fair to charge more for White Inhaler, it must ensure the switch is made available to patients who can afford it.
Destroy Germs
Air pollution has been link to numerous health problems. Respiratory diseases are one such condition that can be aggravate by environmental pollutants. Almost every country in the world has some form of respiratory disease, which means that the amount of air pollution is a major factor affecting people’s health. Luckily, the use of green inhalers can help prevent respiratory illnesses from developing and reduce the impact on human health cause by air pollution.
As the world faces an increasing number of environmental problems, it is essential to consider the carbon footprint of our daily actions and choices. This is especially important for healthcare providers, who produce large amounts of waste in their practices. For example, physicians that prescribe pMDIs have been estimate to generate approximately 1 million tonnes of CO2e annually, primarily from the propellant gases use in the devices.
This is a significant amount of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Fortunately, doctors can reduce their carbon footprint by promoting the use of inhalers that do not contain HFCs and prescribing appropriate medications. Moreover, they can also encourage their patients to improve their inhaler technique, optimise medication delivery through the use of spacers and educate them on good asthma management.
These measures can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of their patients’ inhaler use. It is worth noting that this can be achieve without compromising patient outcomes and adherence. Moreover, newer propellants with lower global warming potential are approaching market release, further reducing the climate impact of pMDIs and other types of Green Inhaler.
Decrease Asthma & Allergies
With increasing air pollution and exposure to allergens, the incidence of asthma and other respiratory illnesses is rising. Inhalers play a critical role in managing these conditions. While standard pressurise metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) may have a carbon footprint, many patients can benefit from alternatives that don’t.
The pharmaceutical industry is working on this issue, with GSK reducing the carbon footprint of their pMDIs by 45 percent and AstraZene developing a propellant that will not contribute to climate change at all. However, GPs and their patients must also take steps to decrease the impact of their treatment choices.
It is important that doctors take the time to discuss with their patients the environmental impact of Cheapest Inhaler For Asthma, and that they do this in a spirit of partnership when deciding on their treatment plans. However, the main priority must remain ensuring that all patients receive optimal treatment for their respiratory condition. If a doctor decides to change an inhaler prescription simply because it has a lower carbon footprint, this could lead to uncontroll asthma and other side effects. It could also stigmatise patients, causing them to stop using their inhaler or switch to an inappropriate alternative.
Asthma is a complex disease and the best way to understand it is to visit your GP for a proper diagnosis. This will allow you to get the correct medication and avoid unnecessary waste of inhalers and other healthcare equipment.
Patients with asthma who are prescribe pMDIs should visit their GP to find out whether they would benefit from a switch to a dry powder inhaler. Alternatively, patients can contact their local NHS Sustainability Unit to arrange for inhalers to be collect for safe disposal.
Decrease Infections
Using the right inhaler can be an important factor in helping to dislodge and clear mucus that has become trapp inside the lungs. This can help to make it easier for a person with asthma or COPD to breathe. Mucus can trap bacteria, toxins and other harmful particles in the airways.
Inhalers that use gas to create a spray of medication are known as pressurise meter dose inhalers (pMDI’s). The propellant gases use in MDI’s have a large carbon footprint and are powerful greenhouse gases. The NHS has a responsibility to minimize its environmental impact and one way this can be achieve is by shifting away from pMDI’s and towards dry powder inhalers and soft mist inhalers that do not contain greenhouse gases.
However, many patients are not aware that switching to a DPI will have an impact on the environment and are not willing to pay for a greener inhaler. A patient’s choice of inhaler should be base on their medical needs not on cost.
This is why it is important for health professionals to understand the environmental impact of their prescribing decisions and to empower patients with this information. You can see to all asthma treatment in specialitymedz.
There is also a need to consider whether the NHS should pay for higher costs for environmentally sustainable inhalers where there are no direct health benefits to the patient. Philosophers have discuss two principles that could be use to justify this: burden sharing justice and ability to pay.
As the Clean Breathing Institute explores ways to reduce the environmental impact of respiratory disease, we are looking for partners to join us in our mission. Please contact us for more information.
