As a primary care pharmacist and educator I have spent nearly all my working life educating patients about inhaler use. I was horrified to see that despite the best efforts of the profession, inhaler technique has not improved. Are we ineffective? Or are the products just too difficult?
Article : Inhaler use: has technique improved over time?
A systematic review found that around 30% of people using inhalers had ‘poor’ inhaler technique, and that no appreciable change in this has occurred over the last 40 years. The review had several limitations making it difficult to draw firm conclusions from the findings. However, national guidelines on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma make several recommendations on inhaler technique, in particular the need to ensure that people receive training and can demonstrate satisfactory technique before an inhaler device is prescribed. Assessment of inhaler technique during routine reviews is also recommended.
Ref NICE Awareness on line 31/08/16
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