ArticleBMJ open respiratory research2024
Thoughtful prescription of inhaled medication has the potential to reduce inhaler-related greenhouse gas emissions by 85.
Article in BMJ open respiratory research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Developing low-carbon salbutamol MDI: assessment of relative bioavailability and pharmacodynamic relative potency of salbutamol MDI with propellant HFA-152a.BMJ open respiratory research · 2026Trial
- Managing Inhaler Environmental Sustainability and Effective Respiratory Care: Current Evidence, Challenges, and Opportunities.Pharmaceutical medicine · 2026Article
- Decarbonising Respiratory Care: The Impact of a Low-Carbon Salbutamol Pressurised Metered-Dose Inhalers.Allergy · 2026Article
- Advancing sustainable medication use in healthcare: a Delphi study on (de)prescribing interventions.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Peak Inspiratory Flow Capability for Simulated Dry Powder Inhaler Resistances in Asthma Patients Prescribed Pressurized Metered-Dose Inhalers with Valved Holding Chambers: The USE-DPI Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Increasing propellant gas emissions from pressurized metered-dose inhalers in obstructive lung diseases in France over 11 years.Respiratory research · 2026Article
- Green CKD care: 10 tips to make nephrology outpatient clinics more environmentally sustainable.Clinical kidney journal · 2026Review
- Optimizing Respiratory Care with NEXThaler: Bridging Technology and Treatment.Medical devices (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Review
- Inhaler use and their carbon footprint in Germany: a 10-year analysis (2013-2022).BMJ open respiratory research · 2025Article
- Expectations Versus Reality in Inhalation Technique-A Case-Control Study of Inhalation Technique in Patients with Asthma or COPD.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Carbon emissions from the increasing use of inhaled corticosteroid-LABA medications: a primary care used case from Singapore.NPJ primary care respiratory medicine · 2025Article
- How to reduce carbon footprints in asthma.ERJ open research · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionBoth physicians and patients are increasingly aware of the environmental impacts of medication. The shift of treatment paradigm towards MART-treatment (Maintenance and Reliever Therapy) in asthma affects the treatment-related emissions. The carbon footprint of inhaled medication is also tied to the type of the device used. Today the most commonly used propellant-containing pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) have a carbon footprint typically 20-40-fold higher than propellant-free dry powder inhalers (DPIs) and soft mist inhalers.
methodsWe analysed the carbon footprint of inhaled medications in Europe using published life cycle analyses of marketed inhalers and comprehensive 2020 European sales data. In addition, we give an estimate on treatment-related emissions of different treatment regimens on Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) step 2.
resultsThere is potential to reduce the carbon footprint of inhaled medications by 85% if DPIs are preferred over pMDIs. Emissions from pMDIs in the EU were estimated to be 4.0 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MT CO DISCUSSION: There has been an urgent call for healthcare to reduce its carbon footprint for appropriate patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), changing to non-propellant inhalers can reduce the carbon footprint of their treatment by almost 20-fold.
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