All About Asthma/Inhalers

 

Following local Guidelines and Formulary we are switching patients that are on Fostair inhalers to an alternative. This inhaler is used the same as Fostair MDI and the ingredients are the same.

 

Please ensure you are using your inhaler as part of the MART regime  (see attached leaflet here) as you should not need to be ordering a blue inhaler.

 

For further information please visit - Maintenance and Reliever Therapy (MART) | Asthma + Lung UK

 

 

Patients will have their inhalers switched and be sent a text message as per below which includes the attached patient information leaflet.

'Metered dose inhalers (MDIs) use propellant gases to deliver medication to the airways.These propellants are greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. In order to reduce the NHS carbon footprint,we are changing prescriptions for salbutamol inhalers to Salamol.Salamol has less propellant than other salbutamol inhalers but the same amount of active drug.You may notice a change in the taste but this will not affect your asthma or COPD care'

 

 

 

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Here is a fantastic website for young people living with asthma - there are some videos to watch and some great links - please click here. 

 

 

 

 

Primary and secondary schools can purchase salbutamol inhalers to use when the child can't access their own. This link contains full instructions for the school, which will help them create a protocol for this - please click here.

Here's the Ofsted guidance - please click here.

This states "Wherever possible, children should be allowed to carry their own medicines and relevant devices or should be able to access their medicines for self-medication quickly and easily. Children who can take the medicines themselves or manage procedures may require an appropriate levels of supervision. If it is not appropriate for a child to self-manage, relevant staff should help to administer medicines and manage procedures for them."
and "Medicines and devices such as asthma inhalers, blood glucose testing meters and adrenaline pens should be always readily available to children and not locked away." 
"asthma inhalers - schools may hold asthma inhalers for emergency use. This is entirely voluntary, and the Department of Health has published a protocol which provides further information."

 

Inhaled Corticosteroids and Asthma: How do They Work? - please click here.