The NICE guideline for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the British Thoracic Society guideline for asthma both recommend that prior to prescribing a new inhaler, the patient should receive training and education in the use of the device. Inadequate inhaler technique will lower drug deposition to the lungs, waste medication and may lead to poor disease control, reduced quality of life, increased emergency hospital admissions and higher treatment costs.

Pharmacy technicians can really make a difference in this area by ensuring that every patient with an inhaler knows how to use their device correctly, either by providing training or by referring to a pharmacist.