News|Articles|September 8, 2010

Pay Attention to Expiration Dates

Instruct patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma to discard their rescue albuterol inhalers 2 to 3 months after opening.

Instruct patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma to discard their rescue albuterol inhalers 2 to 3 months after opening; after this time, the inhaler will lose its effectiveness and might not work well. This information can be found on packaging inserts, but it is often overlooked.

Sunil Dacha, MD Chicago

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
? Albuterol Inhalation: MedlinePlus Drug Information. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682145.html. Accessed August 16, 2010.

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Pay Attention to Expiration Dates

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