The Change In Albuterol Inhalers

The medicine in your asthma inhaler is not changing. It's the substance used to push the medicine out of the inhaler that is changing. In the past, most current metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) use CFCs. CFCs are safe for patients to inhale, but they are harmful to the environment. Replacing the CFCs in your MDI with another substance called hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) will make the environment safer for everyone.

After switching to a HFA-based inhaler, you will notice that it has many similarities to the CFC-based inhalers, but there are also a few differences:

Similarities of HFA and CFC inhalers	New HFA inhaler
Same medicine in the inhaler	Ozone-friendly to the environment
Shape is similar	Might be slightly different in smell and taste
Size is similar	Mist is less forceful and warmer, but the medicine is the same
Convenient to use	May need to be cleaned and cared for differently (These devices should not get wet, don't use the float test!)

Adapted from American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.