1. Quick reference guide to lower carbon alternatives

Making a quick-reference guide of low carbon inhaler alternatives based on your local guidelines or formulary can be a huge help to clinicians in your practice. Here is an example of a quick reference guide produced by Dr Alastair Jackson for his PCN, the Wyre Forest Health Partnership.

If your local asthma guidelines do not already include DPIs and lower carbon pMDIs/ SMIs, you could discuss this with the local medicines management team, with examples of prescribing guidelines that highlight low carbon options such as the Vale of York guidelines.  

An alternative is to use the Greener Practice Guide which has a list of inhalers by carbon footprint.

There is also a PrescQIPP Bulletin that contains a table of inhaler conversions and cost details on pages 18 – 20, including cost details.