Farm Comunitarios. 2022 Apr 26;14(2):34-39. doi: 10.33620/FC.2173-9218.(2022/Vol14).002.06

Role of community pharmacist in the recycling of inhalers: The AIRE study

Cantalapiedra Fernández F1, Rico Munilla D2, de Simón Gutiérrez R3, Ginel Mendoza L4, Hidalgo Requena A5
1. Farmacéutico comunitario. Alcalá de Henares. SEFAC. 2. Farmacéutica comunitaria. Madrid. SEFAC. 3. Médico de Familia. CS Luis Vives, Alcalá de Henares. SEMERGEN. 4. Médico de Familia. CS Ciudad Jardín, Málaga. SEMERGEN. 5. Médico de Familia. UGC de Lucena. Córdoba. SEMERGEN.
Cantalapiedra F, Rico D, de R, Ginel L, Hidalgo A. Role of community pharmacist in the recycling of inhalers: The AIRE study. Farm Comunitarios. 2022 Apr 26;14(2):34-39. doi: 10.33620/FC.2173-9218.(2022/Vol14).002.06
Abstract : 

Objectives: To ascertain where and how inhalers were removed after finalizing their use, and to determine how the information about recycling was received, as well as the importance of having reusable inhalers.

Methods: Epidemiological, observational, cross-sectional and multicenter study performed in the community pharmacies of the Autonomous Community of Madrid, through the application of a voluntary and anonymous questionnaire that analyzed the knowledge and attitudes regarding the recycling of inhalers among adult users treated with inhalers.

Results: From 22 community pharmacies, a total of 303 subjects (mean age 57.5±19.9 years; 46.7% men; mean time of inhalers` use 9.6±9.8 years; reason for use: asthma: 46.2%, COPD: 25.7%) were included. Overall, 66.2% and 67.5% of users gave a high importance to the recycling of inhalers and the availability of having a monthly rechargeable inhaler every 6 months, respectively. With regard to recycling, 42.9% of users recycled in the SIGRE point of the pharmacy. Only 33% of users had been informed about the place of delivering the inhaler, and in this context, in most cases this was performed by the pharmacist (76.3%). 

Conclusions: Despite the majority of users consider that it is important the recycling of inhalers and the availability of re-usable inhalers, only one third refer having been informed about the place of delivering the inhaler. Information campaigns about the importance of recycling of inhalers and how to do it are warranted. In this setting, the community pharmacist could play a key role.

Editor: © SEFAC. Sociedad Española de Farmacia Clínica, Familiar y Comunitaria. 
Copyright© SEFAC. Sociedad Española de Farmacia Clínica, Familiar y Comunitaria. This article is available from url https://www.farmaceuticoscomunitarios.org/. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.en

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