Respiratory Inhalers – Sustainably reducing the footprint of a health system carbon hotspot.

The healthcare sector is responsible for ~7% of Australia’s total carbon emissions the majority coming from the provision of clinical care. A significant ‘carbon hotspot’ is the use of specific inhalers for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In developing interventions that encourage switching to an environmentally-sustainable inhaler, it is critical that we 1) quantify and analyse the current utilisation of MDIs and DPIs in Australia and 2) understand consumer perspectives and preferences in switching from MDIs to DPIs, especially in relation to inhalers’ environmental impact. This project proposes a multidisciplinary approach to address the issue, understand the perspectives which is critical to developing strategies that support shared decision-making and a shift to low-carbon inhalers.