Asthma inhalers Over-the-Counter Containing Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) is still sold or not after December 2011
U.S. Food and Drug Administration said users an epinephrine inhalers containing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) should plan now to get a recipes for an inhaler for substitute products will not be made or sell after December 31, 2011.
Epinephrine inhaler, marketed by Armstrong Pharmaceuticals Inc. as Primatene Mist, is the only FDA approved an inhaler to eliminate symptoms of mild asthma while sometimes that are sold over-the-counter in retail stores without a recipes. These products use CFCs to push drugs out of the inhaler so that consumers can breathe into their lungs.
However, Primatene Mist would no longer available later this year because no an epinephrine inhalers containing CFCs can be made or sold after December 31, 2011, to obey the obligation created under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Destructive the Ozone Layer. This is an international agreement signed by the United States, where countries agreed to phase-out substances that deplete the ozone layer, including CFCs, after a specific date.
Said director of pulmonary Products Division, Allergy and Rheumatology at the FDA’s Center for Evaluation and Drug research. “If you are relying on inhalers over-the-counter medications to alleviate your asthma symptoms, it is important that you contact a health professional to talk about move to a different medicine to treat your asthma”.
The FDA started to publicly discussion about the use of CFCs in inhalers an epinephrine in January 2006. The FDA completed the phase-out date for CFCs used in inhalers and notified the public in November 2008. Many producers have changed their inhalers to replace CFCs with environmental friendly propellant called hydrofluoroalkane (HFA). Currently there is no version of the HFA inhaler epinephrine.
However, the inhalers are many other safe and effective for treating symptoms of asthma. All these inhalers need a prescription, which must come from a licensed health care professional (physician assistants or nurse practitioners, physician). an epinephrine inhaler users who currently have no health care professional to write new recipes they can request family members what doctor they use and would recommend, or they can go to federally-qualified health centers, local clinics, the public health centers, or minute-clinic (sometimes located in pharmacies) to seeing a health care professional and obtain prescriptions.
Primatene Mist has bringing a clear record of the phase-out dates on product labels, and FDA encourages Armstrong Pharmaceuticals to further educate consumers as the deadline approaches to ensure incident-free transition. The agency also will continue to work with retailers and pharmacies to facilitating smooth phase-out of CFCs and the product is prepared to review application for substitute products.
