MIAMI, FL – As of January 1st, you will no longer be able to buy an inhaler which uses chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) for propellant. At issue is that CFCs are dangerous for the ozone layer and the US signed a treaty to eliminate these chemicals. As a result, your new inhaler will use hydrofluoroaklane (HFA) as a propellent.
Some experts are saying these new devices are not only Earth-friendly but also more effective, delivering a finer mist into the lungs that can penetrate deeper to better manage an asthma attack. Dr Morton Schwartzman, a lung specialist at Memorial Regional Hospital says, “My patients have shown no resistance [to the new devices].”
This isn’t true everywhere. Some patients do not like the new inhalers.
One of those patients is Leonard Eisenberg. Eisenberg says the new device doesn’t relieve his symptoms fully. In addition, the cost of the new inhaler is much higher. As a result, Eisenberg is buying his medication online – in a CFC based puffer.
The process of changing over to the new inhaler was initiated nationally in 2005. According to US statistics, more than two-thirds of patients using inhalers have already switched from CFC to HFA inhalers, but concerns have been voiced regarding certain patient groups.
Costs are a big issue for seniors on fixed incomes. The CFC inhalers have been available as generics, with patients able to get them for free under many health insurance plans.
Experts say that most problems are likely related to incorrect usage or patient misperception. The HFA units are lighter and produce a “softer” spray which may give the panicky asthma patient less confidence that the medicine has been delivered correctly.
However, if not used correctly, it is possible that a patient will not get a full dose of their medication. It’s also true that the HFA puffers are more prone to clogging. If not rinsed regularly, clogging can reduce the amount of medication delivered in a dose. In addition, patients must remember to prime the new devices before used.
The best solution for most patients is the use of a plastic spacer chamber. This allows the medication to be suspended in the air within the chamber so that the patient can inhale it more fully and more easily.
Source: SunSentinel.com
