Changing the type of inhaler prescribed to 2.6m Irish asthma patients could cut over 50,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, according to groundbreaking new research.
The report, led by Louth GP and former pharmacist Sean Owens, found the 4,427,287 inhalers dispensed in 2019 contributed 54,765 tonnes of CO2 equivalent to the country’s carbon footprint.
Metered dose inhalers, such as the popular Ventolin inhaler, account for 59% (2,608,433) of those given to asthma patients yet they also account for 97% of inhaler-related carbon emissions.
