A national (English) working group has been formed to establish the approach and a potential target for reducing the climate change impact of inhalers.
The impetus for the expert working group is to respond to the Environmental Audit Committee's recommendation of 50% low global warming (GW) impact inhalers by 2022. In order to do this, the group will review all options for reducing the climate change impact of inhalers (i.e. not restricted to a shift away from MDIs), agree a target CO2e reduction and work out the best way to make sure that this is achieved, while safeguarding patients who rely on inhalers.
The group is convened by Jerome Baddley at the Sustainable Development Unit for NHS England and PH England, and comprises representatives from:
- Sustainable Development Unit
- Primary Care Respiratory Society
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
- British Thoracic Society
- Asthma UK
- Centre for Sustainable Healthcare
- British Lung Foundation
- Department of Health and Social Care
- NHS England
- UKIG (UK Inhaler Group)
- Imperial College
- Royal College of Nursing
- RCGP
- Care Quality Commission
- DEFRA
- Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Terms of reference for the group are included as an attachment to this post.
Hi,
We have shown that it is possible to replace hydrofluoroalkane propellant in metered dose inhalers with carbon dioxide. The result is a reduction in Global Warming Potential (GWP) from 1430 to 1. The next step is to move to production prototyping. This will require significant investment, 500,000Euro.
Does the group have any interest?
Regards,
Michael.
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