Greener Inhalers: High quality and low carbon respiratory care

73 million respiratory inhalers are prescribed in the UK every year¹ and over 5 million people in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma². There is growing awareness and concern from health care professionals and patients about the impact of respiratory inhalers on our environment³.

Most of the emissions come from the propellant used to deliver the medicine, rather than the medicine itself⁴. The majority of prescribed inhalers (approx. 70%) are pressurised Metered Dose Inhalers (pMDIs) which contain propellants – potent greenhouse gases, thousands of times more powerful than carbon⁵.

The most prescribed inhaler in the UK, Ventolin Evohaler (high volume inhaler) has the same carbon footprint as the greenhouse gas emissions of driving in a small car 175miles from London to Sheffield.

The propellants in pMDIs alone contribute to nearly 4% of the entire NHS carbon footprint. The NHS Long Term Plan includes an ambition to reduce the carbon footprint through the shift to using lower carbon inhalers⁷.

All used inhalers should be returned to a pharmacy to be disposed of safely.

References (accessed 24.02.2022):

1. https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Complete-the-cycle-leaflet.pdf
2. https://www.asthma.org.uk/about/media/facts-and-statistics/
3. https://www.thedatalab.org/blog/2019/10/new-measure-inhalers-and-the-environment/
4. https://www.greenerpractice.co.uk/
5. https://thorax.bmj.com/content/thoraxjnl/75/1/82.full.pdf
6. https://greeninhaler.org/the-problem-with-inhalers/
7. https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/a-net-zero-nhs/

Further Reading

1. https://www.asthma.org.uk/
2. https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhalers-medicines-treatments/using-inhalers/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl7zt8NWV9gIVQ-3tCh17vQ8lEAAYASAAEgIe2vD_BwE
3. https://www.recyclenow.com/what-to-do-with/inhalers-0