Asthma Health Center

HFA Asthma Inhalers: Making the Switch

6. With only a few months to go before the CFC inhalers disappear from the market, how is the transition going? continued...

"We told them things weren't going well and they needed to do a lot more," Collins says. "They gathered us to tell us things were going well, but their definition of success is different from a patient's definition of success. Their definition is getting products on the shelves."

In response, the FDA issued a statement in June urging consumers to make the change to HFA inhalers, but the AAFA and its partners would like to see a far more wide-ranging campaign that would include doctor training and online video training for patients.

"I think the FDA is in a much better position to get the information out to providers," Collins says. "If anything comes from the FDA, that gets their attention."

7. What other resources are available to educate the public?

The Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics offers a free phone consultation service in which patients may talk to a nurse practitioner about using HFA inhalers and financial assistance available. That number is 800-315-8056.

Other organizations offer information on their web sites about the transition. They include the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, and the American Lung Association.