Inhaled asthma therapy growing in complexity: thorough understanding of devices, dosages, and formulations needed for optimal patient management.(Clinical Rounds)

Publication: Skin & Allergy News

Publication Date: 01-MAR-05

Bookmark this article Print this article Link to this article Email this article Digg It! Add to del.icio.us RSS

COPYRIGHT 2005 International Medical News Group

TORONTO -- The prescription of inhaled asthma medications is becoming more complicated and requires physicians to understand not only the drug they are prescribing, but also its formulation and the delivery device it will be used with, according to Myrna Dolovich, a world authority on pulmonary drug delivery.

"There are many devices out there and many more coming. Be prepared to switch devices if one is not working for a patient; understand how the dosing changes with different devices and formulations, and recognize how critical it is to teach patients proper technique with each device," she said at an international conference on allergy and clinical immunology sponsored by the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

There are three categories of asthma inhalers: pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) or aerosol inhalers, dry powder inhalers (DPIs), and nebulizers. All three can be used to deliver corticosteroids as well as bronchodilators, and they can deliver these drugs as droplets (from a solution), or as particles (from a suspension), Ms. Dolovich,...

Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.