Asthma Information

For patients who are due an annual asthma review.

Please would you answer the questions on the form below and submit it to us.

If your symptoms are deteriorating or you have any concerns, please make an appointment with the Respiratory Nurse or a Doctor.

Historically most patients with asthma have been prescribed aerosol (MDI) inhalers, but for most patients this is not the best choice of inhaler and NHS Highland are recommending that we switch patients onto dry powder (DPI) inhalers. There are several advantages with these, more modern, inhalers.

1. They are activated by taking a quick breath in and so do not require co-ordination of pressing to activate the aerosol inhaler and breathing in at the same time.

2. They have a dose counter on them, so it is easy to see how many doses are remaining and when you need to reorder an inhaler.

3. Dry powder inhalers have a far lower carbon footprint than MDI inhalers.

The NHS is responsible for 5% of UK greenhouse gas emissions. The single biggest contributor to this is inhalers (more than NHS buildings or vehicles). It is the propellant gas in MDI (aerosol) inhalers that cause the problem. Some propellant gases are over 3000 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

A single MDI inhaler has the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions of a 175mile car journey e.g., Dingwall to Dumfries.

A single dry powder inhaler has the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions of a 4-mile car journey e.g., Dingwall to Strathpeffer.

Based on this information, we are switching our patients currently on metered dose (aerosol) inhalers (MDIs) onto dry powder inhalers (DPIs).

Please see the link below for information on how to use a dry powder inhaler

https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/living-with/inhaler-videos/accuhaler

Asthma Review Questionnaire