Inhalers
Inhalers are vital for a range of respiratory conditions. It is important you take your inhalers as prescribed. If you are unsure how to use your inhaler correctly, you can find videos and advice on the Asthma UK website.
We are reviewing the optimisation of inhalers to dry powder inhalers (DPIs). These are beneficial as you do not require a spacer to take them, they have a dose counter to know how much you have left and can be absorbed into the lungs using deep breath in.
Some inhalers are more environmentally friendly than others. The most commonly prescribed inhaler in the UK (Salbutamol) has the carbon footprint equivalent of driving 175 miles in a small car.
Visit the Green inhaler website to learn more about the environmental impact of inhalers.
Please do not stop taking your inhaler and speak to a clinician if you’d like to discuss this further.
Medicines Waste
Approximately 1.6 million medicine items are wasted in Dorset each year. You can help reduce this by only ordering what you need.
Only ordering what you need means that you are helping the environment because once medicines have left the pharmacy, they cannot be recycled or used by anyone else.
Make sure you dispose of unwanted medicines properly, by handing them in to your pharmacy. This helps to make sure that waste medicines do not pollute our rivers and seas.
