

This puts Primatene in the same category with other inhalers, including albuterol and levalbuterol, which also use HFAs as propellants. The new Primatene Mist HFA ( Amphastar Pharmaceuticals) contains hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) propellants, which are permitted under current international and U.S. The 1989 Montreal Protocol of Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and the Clean Air Act of 1990 targeted chlorofluorocarbons among those substances, and epinephrine inhalers that contained CFCs were phased out. The inhaler was pulled from sales as part of an international pact to reduce ozone-depleting substances. Over the counter availability of a reliever medication like Primatene Mist can endanger a patient’s wellbeing by providing temporary relief in symptoms, resulting in delay in seeking medical care.” Frequent rescue inhaler use has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The majority of asthma patients requires treatment with a controller medication, which is only available by prescription.

Care for ALL patients with asthma should be under the guidance of a health-care provider. Our membership of more than 19,000 members from around the world provides patient care in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.Īsthma is a serious and chronic condition with associated high health-care burden. CHEST is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing best patient outcomes. At the core of their protest are the facts that epinephrine is a symptomatic, not therapeutic, asthma treatment and that racemic epinephrine is not a not a recommended asthma treatment under the National Institutes of Health’s “ Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma.”ĬHEST has published the following statement: “The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) is disappointed with the FDA’s decision to approve over-the counter epinephrine (Primatene® Mist HFA) for the treatment of asthma. The American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, American College of Chest Physicians, American Lung Association, American Thoracic Society, and the American Association of Asthma Educators have each individually protested the decision, and together sent a joint resolution to FDA decrying it. Respiratory medicine associations have taken issue with the Food and Drug Administration’s decision, warning patients that asthma is not a “do-it-yourself” disease that can be managed with over-the-counter medications.

A person with asthma should know what situations trigger coughing and avoid them whenever possible. What should be done to control an asthma cough?
