Pangbourne Medical Practice is embarking on an endeavour to become more environmentally friendly. This is part of the Green Impact Project in association with the Royal College of GPs.
As part of this, we have reviewed our inhaler use and have decided to stop using Ventolin where possible. This is for environmental reasons – total usage of one Ventolin inhaler is roughly equivalent in carbon footprint to driving 180 miles in a car. The propellants in it contribute to Global warming and destruction of the Ozone.
There are other inhalers that are less damaging to the planet and equally effective. We have changed your Ventolin to Salamol. Salamol works in exactly the same way but contains fewer chemicals which are damaging to the planet. If you have any difficulty with the new inhaler please let us know.
Ideally, it would be even better to change to dry powder inhalers (DPIs) which don’t need aerosol at all, but this needs to be done on an individual basis. Powder inhalers are just as effective for most people. Please ask about this option at your next review.
It is really important that your lung condition is optimally managed, so please ensure you are aware when your next review is due and book an appointment with your nurse or GP.
If you need to use your reliever inhaler more than 3 times a week, you should book at appointment to discuss this.
Please recycle unwanted inhalers at a dedicated pharmacy. Details of inhaler recycling are at completethecycle.eu
Thank you so much for supporting us with this project. Little changes can make a big difference!