OTC inhalers to be phased out to protect ozone layer

AP ^ | 9/22/2011 | MATTHEW PERRONE

[Mount Athos]

Asthma patients who rely on over-the-counter inhalers will need to switch to prescription-only alternatives as part of the federal government's latest attempt to protect the Earth's atmosphere.

The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday patients who use the epinephrine inhalers to treat mild asthma will need to switch by Dec. 31 to other types that do not contain chlorofluorocarbons, an aerosol substance once found in a variety of spray products.

The action is part of an agreement signed by the U.S. and other nations to stop using substances that deplete the ozone layer, a region in the atmosphere that helps block harmful ultraviolet rays from the Sun.

But the switch to a greener inhaler will cost consumers more. Epinephrine inhalers are available via online retailers for around $20, whereas the alternatives, which contain the drug albuterol, range from $30 to $60.

[algernonpj]

Used to be able to buy the albuterol inhalers that contained the CFC’s for about $4.00. The new non-CFC albuterol inhalers are almost 10 times as much.

And they don’t work as well. I have fairly severe asthma and the new non-CFC ones don’t seem to have enough “oomph” to push into my lungs when I’m having a bad attack. ...

Per the FDA: "It is important to remember that it is the deep breath that you take with each puff that gets the medication into your lungs, not the force of the spray."

Interesting advice for the FDA to give someone who taking medication because they can't breathe deeply.

Don't expect any help getting the CFC inhalers back because the following were given grants bribes to 'educate' you and your physician on the new inferior inhalers:
The American Lung Association (ALA)
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA
) The Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA)
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI)
The American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC)
The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI)
The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP)
The American Thoracic Society (ATS)
Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics
Crony Capitalism at work!

[algernonpj]

There are a number of people out there who are convinced that the whole thing was a scam because the patents were running out on the common CFC refrigerants. R-11, R-12, R-22, etc.

I think backhoe is one of them.

I have my doubts about the matter as well.

We certainly shot ourselves in the foot on air conditioning energy efficiency on the changeover.

backhoe and others are correct. Amazing coincidence that the patents were running out presenting an opportunity for the interests of PC and crony capitalism to merge.

[Red Badger]

http://www.imcool.com/articles/aircondition/refrigerant_history.php

[Sarajevo]

Is yours one of the new Prescription only inhalers using Albuterol?

Yep. I had to get something. The local stores are running out of Primatene Mist.

[Sarajevo]

This should probably result in lower health care costs.....

How so?

[CSM]

I could have sworn that I didn’t need a sarcasm tag. I figured that since we are living in bizarro world and all....

[saminfl]

There are a number of people out there who are convinced that the whole thing was a scam because the patents were running out on the common CFC refrigerants. R-11, R-12, R-22, etc.

There was a book published in the early nineties called, "The Holes in the Ozone Scare," that pretty much said the CFC/Ozone hole thing was a scam.

[algernonpj]

Note the time line beginning in 1974 in this backgrounder from Dupont. I could only download via wayback:

http://wayback.archive.org/web/*/http://refrigerants.dupont.com/Suva/en_US/pdf/75_years.pdf

“Still the leading global supplier of refrigerants for the commercial and industrial air conditioning and refrigeration industries, DuPont begins its own studies for alternative refrigerants after questions arise about possible harmful effects of fluorocarbons on the stratospheric ozone.

Moline and Rowland publish ozone depletion theory in 1974.
“

Noted in Red Badger’s link.
http://www.imcool.com/articles/aircondition/refrigerant_history.php

A manufacturing patent for Freon was due to expire in 1979.

[Red Badger]

A manufacturing patent for Freon was due to expire in 1979.

IIRC, that was a manufacturing PROCESS patent, not a patent on the Freon itself, which had expired decades earlier......

[Mears]

I was assuming that one already has a relationship with the doctor. Sorry.

My asthma days are long-gone but my childhood/teen years were miserable because of it.It’s one tough illness.No inhalers in my day,but I had a glass nebulizer,a real pain in the neck.

The asthma just went away when I was 22.

[FreedomPoster]

OK, so it wasn’t the patent on the substance, but the patent to make the substance economically. The effect of that patent running out would have been that Dupont was going to see significant new competition.

[American Constitutionalist]

Lehman Brothers was heavily invested in Wind and Solar and was one of the reasons why it went under.

[Fresh Wind]

Why are you spamming every thread with that same post?

[American Constitutionalist]

To get the truth out. wake up people !

[UCANSEE2]

Then I thank you for your response and that information. What I would be concerned about is the Obama Admin adding extra 'duties' to the German brand to force patients to buy their inhalers from new 'start up' company that contributes to the DNC and got special loans and deals to take over the markent, and then they somehow file bankruptcy.

Of course, I am merely speculating because this type of thing has never happened before..... (/sarc).

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

But the switch to a greener inhaler will cost consumers more. Epinephrine inhalers are available via online retailers for around $20, whereas the alternatives, which contain the drug albuterol, range from $30 to $60.

Kill the poor.

Nanny State PING!

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Wanna bet the improved inhalers do not work as well?

[gwilhelm56]

ExLax ... worked great.. FDA took off market
Alka Seltzer Plus ... worked great .. FDA took off market
Sudafed... works great.. gotta sign life away to buy it ...DEA
Inhalers... work great ... EPA take off market

Seeing a pattern here???

EFFEMALL!!!!!

[UCANSEE2]

Then I thank you for your response and that information. What I would be concerned about is the Obama Admin adding extra 'duties' to the German brand to force patients to buy their inhalers from new 'start up' company that contributes to the DNC and got special loans and deals to take over the markent, and then they somehow file bankruptcy.

Of course, I am merely speculating because this type of thing has never happened before..... (/sarc).

[Alamo-Girl]

Jeepers. Thanks for the ping!