SPECIAL COMMUNICATION
Harland T Holman; Michael J Bouthillier; Frank Müller
Corresponding Author: Harland Holman, MD; Michigan State University.
Email: harland.holman@spectrumhealth.org
DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.220292R2
Keywords: Asthma, Carbon Footprint, Carbon Dioxide, Climate Change, COPD, Drug Prescriptions, Dry Powder Inhalers, Environmental Medicine, Family Medicine, Global Warming, Greenhouse Gases, Metered Dose Inhalers, Norflurane
Dates: Submitted: 08-29-2022; Revised: 11-03-2022; Accepted: 11-08-2022
AHEAD OF PRINT: | HTML | | PDF | FINAL PUBLICATION: | HTML | | PDF |
The impact of man-made climate change is already affecting millions of people worldwide. The healthcare sector in the US is a relevant contributor, accounting for about 8-10% 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.