Another effective over the counter med to be discontinued

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Since the 1960s (that I'm aware of) people with asthma who have handled their treatment without visiting a doctor for a prescription have been able to buy an inhaled over the counter medicine, Primatene Mist, which delivers epinephrine.

At the end of this month, Primatene Mist will be removed from the market due to its propellant being a CFC. The maker has not found a way to make another propellant work for the product, though they say they are working on it.

If you rely on this product, you might want to buy the last ones you can find in the next couple weeks and/or find a way to get a prescription inhaler. I think I read that there are 20 million asthmatics who do use this medication. I'd hate to see one of them only finding out the product is gone when they go to a drugstore during an attack.

Be prepared to see prices have gone up in this last month, though. Reviewers on Amazon.com are saying that online sellers have raised the price, but that they are still finding the product at normal prices in brick and mortar stores.

[elessar78]

will it be available in Canada?

[disneysteve]

As a physician, I have to say I'm glad to see this happen. We have always advised against the use of Primatene Mist for asthma patients. Asthma is a very serious, potentially life-threatening disease. It really shouldn't be self-diagnosed and self-treated with an OTC product.

If you do have asthma, please see your doctor and get proper treatment. That might be albuterol or it might be something else. Yes it may cost more but it sure beats dying of an asthma attack or spending hours in an emergency room.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

elessar78, I have no idea whether it will be available in Canada, but your question seems to intersect with disneysteve's comment. In Canada, I think there would be little reason for a person to use an over the counter medicine for asthma, as Canadians do not face the same expense hurdles of office visits and prescription costs. There are people who use Primatene because that is what they can afford. It is not necessarily a decision people are real happy with as they can often FEEL the side effects even as they get relief from the asthma. They may feel their heart racing, may feel very jittery, may even sense their blood pressure has raised. Not ideal, but I imagine Primatene mist has saved lives and has saved emergency room visits.

[asmom]

I agree with Steve, I didn't even realize Primatene Mist was still on the market I thought it went away years ago. No way should there be a way for people with asthma to self-treat, additionally it's availability might have spurred people with asthma to avoid seeing a physician. Albuterol and Qvar are actually relatively cheap. I realize that many people have no health insurance at all but most drug manufacturers have programs that provide life-saving drugs at no cost, it's just a matter of filling out the paperwork and getting your healthcare provider to sign.

[bdoubleu]

I agree with Steve, I didn't even realize Primatene Mist was still on the market I thought it went away years ago. No way should there be a way for people with asthma to self-treat, additionally it's availability might have spurred people with asthma to avoid seeing a physician. Albuterol and Qvar are actually relatively cheap. I realize that many people have no health insurance at all but most drug manufacturers have programs that provide life-saving drugs at no cost, it's just a matter of filling out the paperwork and getting your healthcare provider to sign.

Albuterol actually isn't that cheap - since the whole CFC removal from the product actually REMOVED the generic product (inhaler) off the market, it is now only available as a brand name product again.

Although I do agree it is definitely worth it to fork over a brand name co-pay rather than paying for an emergency room visit/hospital admission. Aaaannnd, if you're using a rescue medication like albuterol enough that you complain about the price, you probably have other issues anyway.

[disneysteve]

if you're using a rescue medication like albuterol enough that you complain about the price, you probably have other issues anyway.

Great point. An albuterol inhaler should last a year or more. If it doesn't you should be seeing your doctor anyway.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Surely you are thinking of something other than albuterol. Ventolin HFA comes in 60 or 200 metered doses. In order to last a year, the bigger inhaler could be used only every 43 hours, yet people with asthma may need their medicine daily. Even the package insert says it may be used as often as every 4 hours.

I think people with asthma often need their prescription filled almost monthly.

OH and Ventolin HFA is supposed to be thrown away 12 months after opening the airtight packaging, even if there is some unused.

[asmom]

Surely you are thinking of something other than albuterol. Ventolin HFA comes in 60 or 200 metered doses. In order to last a year, the bigger inhaler could be used only every 43 hours, yet people with asthma may need their medicine daily. Even the package insert says it may be used as often as every 4 hours.

I think people with asthma often need their prescription filled almost monthly.

OH and Ventolin HFA is supposed to be thrown away 12 months after opening the airtight packaging, even if there is some unused.

If you are using that much albuterol, then your asthma is not well-controlled and you should be seeing either your PCP or your pulmonologist if you have one.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I don't have asthma.

[disneysteve]

Surely you are thinking of something other than albuterol. .

I think people with asthma often need their prescription filled almost monthly.

Yes, a full size inhaler has 200 puffs. If you use your inhaler 1-2 times per week max, that's at least 50 weeks per inhaler. If you need it more than that, you probably should be on a maintenance med.

[elessar78]

FWIW, I posted about this in Frugal QandA.

I went to get a refill for Advair and Albuterol this past week. Instead of taking the drugs and going as I've used these two things on and off for years now, I talked to the pharmacist. We were talking about the meds (because I wanted to be better informed) and she paused and told me to hold on a sec. She went in the back and found a coupon for both drugs which covered my entire copay ($60)! The Albuterol was actually filled as the name brand Ventolin as they had a coupon for it.

Additionally, she told me to check online for coupons. Because of my insurance I should have access to these coupons. She said basically anything above medicare would be eligible for coupons.