AWARENESS OF THE OZONE-LAYER AND ACCEPTANCE OF A NEW CFC-FREE METERED-DOSE INHALER AMONG ASTHMATIC-PATIENTS

SETTING: University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. OBJECTIVE: To assess the awareness of the ozone layer and the acceptan ce of the new non-chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellant hydrofluoroalkan e 134a salbutamol pressurised metered dose inhaler (MDI) Airomir(TM) a mong asthmatic patients.DESIGN: A total of 113 consecutive asthmatic p atients aged 12 years and above from the out- and in-patient services of the hospital were interviewed using a questionnaire. RESULTS: Sixty -five per cent of the patients were aware of the existence of the ozon e layer, 23% that CFCs play a role in ozone depletion, and only 10% th at current MDIs contained CFCs. All the patients felt that pressurised MDIs should be made CFC-free after they had considered the role of CF Cs in the destruction of the ozone layer. Eighty-one per cent of 94 pa tients who preferred the Airomir(TM) inhaler over a multi-dose dry pow der inhaler for administering bronchodilator medications were willing to switch to the new inhaler once it became available on the market. C ONCLUSION: Awareness of the damaging effect of CFCs on the ozone layer among asthmatic patients would encourage them to change to an ozone-f riendly, CFC-free pressurised MDI.