Health-care Resource Requirements and Potential Financial Consequences of an Environmentally Driven Switch in Respiratory Inhaler Use in England
**Background:** To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, national initiatives advocate the phasing down of respiratory inhalers that use a fluorinated gas as a propellant (pressurised metered-dose inhalers \[pMDI]). Nevertheless, pMDIs continue to be an effective and common choice. **Objective:** To ass...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Columbia Data Analytics, LLC
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.36469/001c.26113 |
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| Summary: | **Background:** To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, national initiatives advocate the phasing down of respiratory inhalers that use a fluorinated gas as a propellant (pressurised metered-dose inhalers \[pMDI]). Nevertheless, pMDIs continue to be an effective and common choice.
**Objective:** To assess the potential financial impact of patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) switching from pMDIs to dry powder inhalers (DPIs) in a representative primary care network (PCN) population of 50 000 and the English National Health Service (NHS).
**Methods:** Epidemiological data were combined with current inhaler use patterns to estimate the resources and costs associated with this transition, varying patient acceptance scenarios.
**Results:** Depending on the approach, resource requirements ranged from £18 000 – £53 000 for a PCN, and from £21 – £60 million for the English NHS.
**Discussion:** Significant funds are needed to successfully manage targeted inhaler transitions, together with counselling and follow-up appointment with an appropriately skilled clinician to assess the patient’s inhaler technique and ensure disease control.
**Conclusions:** Targeted transition of inhalers must achieve a balance between environmental impacts, organisational factors, and patient requirements. The resources for managing a switch can be substantial but are necessary to appropriately counsel and support patients, whilst protecting the environment. |
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| ISSN: | 2327-2236 |