Fifteen-minute consultation: considering greener asthma treatments for children and young people

Inhalers are the mainstay of asthma treatment, but are responsible for a disproportionately high level of carbon emissions compared with other aspects of healthcare. There is a growing interest among CYP in discussing the environmental impact of their treatment with healthcare staff. In this article, we outline an individualised approach to modifying asthma treatment to be more sustainable. We explore options including prescribing dry powder inhalers over pressurised metered dose inhalers, choosing inhaler devices with lower carbon footprints, improving disposal and recycling of inhalers, and optimising basic asthma care through routine reviews, prescription management and during exacerbations.