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Published on: September 24, 2020
Thinking "Green" When Treating "Pink Puffers" and "Blue Bloaters"-Reducing Carbon Footprint When Prescribing Inhalers
Harland T Holman1, Michael J Bouthillier2, Frank Müller2
1From the Department of Family Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA (HTH, MJB, FM); Spectrum Health Family Medicine Residency Center, Grand Rapids, MI, USA (HTH, MJB, FM); College of Pharmacy, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI, USA (MJB); Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany (FM). holmanha@msu.edu.
Abstract:
The impact of man-made climate change is already affecting millions of people worldwide. The health care sector in the US is a relevant contributor, accounting for about 8 to 10% of national greenhouse gas emissions. This special communication describes the harmful impact of propellant gases in metered dose inhalers (MDI) on the climate and summarizes and discusses current knowledge and recommendations from European countries. Dry powder inhalers (DPI) are a good alternative to MDIs and are available for all inhaler drug classes recommended in current asthma and COPD guidelines. Changing an MDI to PDI can significantly reduce carbon footprints. The majority of the US population is willing to do more to protect the climate. Primary care providers can engage in this by addressing the impacts of drug therapy on climate change in medical decision making.
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