Prescribing trends and environmental impact of prescribed inhaled medicines in Australia.

Pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) release greenhouse gases with substantially higher carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emission than other inhalers. Data from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from 2013-2023, showed 28.3% increase in inhalers prescribed. pMDIs account for 47.5% of inhalers prescribed, contributing to 95.6 of inhaler-related carbon emissions. Targeted strategies to optimise disease control and promote use of non-pMDI inhalers where clinically appropriate can significantly reduce emissions while maintaining high-quality care.