Inhalers are the first treatment given for relief in cases of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
But alongside the health benefits, their use also has a high environmental price.
This is shown in a new study from a major American university, the largest study so far that quantified emissions related to inhalers in the United States.
The medical advantages of inhalers have a heavy environmental cost.
While inhalers are known for quick therapeutic effectiveness by delivering medication directly to the lungs, accuracy in medication dosage, mobility and ease of use compared to other devices, researchers discovered that inhalers generated more than two million tons of carbon emissions every year in the past decade.
This amount is equal to the emissions of about five hundred thirty thousand gasoline powered cars on the roads every year.
In the study, published in a major medical journal, emissions were analyzed from three types of inhalers approved for treatment of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease between the years 2014 and 2024.
Researchers found that metered dose inhalers are harmful to the environment, responsible for ninety eight percent of emissions during the decade examined.
These inhalers contain hydrofluoroalkane gases which are powerful greenhouse gases that were widely used in products such as aerosols.
Other types of inhalers, including dry powder inhalers and soft mist inhalers, are less harmful to the environment because they deliver medication to the lungs without the need for propellant substances.
Inhalers add to the growing carbon footprint of the healthcare system in the United States and endanger many patients with chronic respiratory diseases.
On the other hand, there is a major opportunity to make changes that will protect patients and the planet by using alternatives with lower emissions.
The researchers conducted the study using a comprehensive American database that included prescriptions for inhalers at the level of the national drug code.
Emissions were then evaluated using verified academic studies and analyzed according to medication type, device type, propellant type, treatment category, brand status, manufacturer, payer and pharmacy benefit manager.
The researchers plan to expand their study and examine emissions related to inhalers in specific patient populations such as the Medicaid population in the United States, which is a federal and state program that assists with healthcare costs for people with limited income and resources.
Researchers intend to compare findings of clinical studies between inhalers with low emissions and high emissions in the same treatment category.
They will examine pricing strategies and patent registration strategies that pharmaceutical companies may use when launching inhaler technologies with lower emissions.
A first and important step toward promoting change is understanding the real scope of the problem. From there it is possible to identify what drives these emissions and to reduce them for the benefit of patients and the environment.