Estimated carbon emissions for PBS-subsidised prescription respiratory inhalers, Australia, 2019-2023 a descriptive analysis

The Australian National Health and Climate Strategy1 identifies reducing the use of pressurised, metered dose inhalers as a high priority for decarbonising health care. These high emissions inhalers contain potent greenhouse gases as propellants, producing ten to thirty times as much in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions as low emissions inhalers (dry powder and soft mist inhalers), which are often clinically equivalent.