Puffer recycling breath of fresh air

CASEY residents can breathe a little easier knowing their used asthma puffers are being put to good use.
Richard Edwards Chemmart in Narre Warren and Casey Central Pharmacy in Narre Warren South are two of several pharmacies across Victoria that have thrown their support behind the Cycle Inhaler Recycling and Recovery Scheme which aims to encourage patients to return empty asthma inhalers.
Rebecca Edwards from Chemmart in Narre Warren said the returned inhalers are taken to a specialist recycling centre where the plastic can be reused.
“It’s a recycling trial to ensure patients are helping to reduce their impact on landfill,” she said.
“Pharmacists can also have a chat with them.
“Often a lot of patients will come in and their asthma puffers will still be half full, so we can talk to them about wastage and ensure they are using them correctly.”
With 600,000 asthma sufferers throughout the state, Ms Edwards said the recycling scheme, which was launched in September by GlaxoSmithKline and supported by the Asthma Foundation, had already started to catch on.
“A lot of our regular customers are recycling now because we advertise it in the store,” she said.
“It’s a fantastic initiative to get behind.”
Robin Ould, CEO Asthma Foundation of Victoria, agreed that the asthma puffer program will help connect patients with pharmacists and kick-starting a discussion on their current medication use and inhaler technique.