The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7406 p747
24 June 2006

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· Complementary medicine (2)
· POM-to-P switches
· Regulation
· The Society

Letters to the Editor

POM-to-P switches

It is time salbutamol inhalers were available

From Mr P. D. Burgess, MRPharmS

Is it not now time to allow salbutamol inhalers to be switched from POM to P?

I have worked for multiple companies whose Head Office dictates that we do not supply a Ventolin inhaler unless the patient is actually experiencing an attack when they are making the request for an emergency supply. My approach has always been to consider how I would feel if I subsequently heard that patient had returned home having been denied the supply and had then experienced a fatal asthma attack during the night. Surely the paramount consideration should be the well-being of the patient.

I make this request on behalf of those patients who have tried to obtain an emergency supply and were denied, which resulted in a nerve-racking night before they could next visit a doctor. I also make the request on behalf of visitors from overseas. There are countries where it is possible to purchase a salbutamol inhaler over the counter.

It is time pharmacists were allowed to supply salbutamol inhalers when they deemed it appropriate.

Paul Burgess
Auckland, New Zealand

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