A STAGGERING 94% of Australians misuse their asthma inhalers, prompting the National Asthma Council Australia (NAC) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) to create new supplementary labels.
The labels, affixed to inhalers, provide clearer instructions on the appropriate inspiratory flow rate, crucial for effective asthma and COPD treatment.
A/Prof Debbie Rigby, Clinical Executive Lead at NAC, said, "optimal inhaler technique is critical to better outcomes and inspiratory flow rate is one of the most critical errors that patients can make".
"Inspiratory flow rate directly impacts the amount of drug that is inhaled, as well as the lung deposition and, therefore, the outcome for people with respiratory conditions."
The challenge lies in the variety of inhalers, such as dry powder inhalers (DPIs) and pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs), each requiring different techniques.
"DPIs need a quick, deep inhalation over 2-3 seconds, while pMDIs require a slow, steady inhalation over 3-5 seconds.
"Supplementary labels serve as prompts for patients, helping them remember the correct technique."
The NAC has also introduced asthma inhaler information cards, complete with QR codes linking to instructional videos.
These resources aim to improve patient outcomes by reinforcing proper inhaler use.
The new labels and cards are available from Stirling Fildes, and will be showcased at the NAC Table TT2 at PSA24 on 02-03 Aug.
An additional sticker encourages patients to return unused inhalers to pharmacies for safe disposal. JG
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 16 Jul 24
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