New Cleaning Instructions for Reliever Puffers (Asmol/Ventolin/Zempreon)

If you’ve purchased an asthma reliever puffer lately, you’ll see it comes with a dose counter. With a new dose counter, you need to clean asthma reliever puffers weekly to keep them working effectively. That includes Ventolin/Asmol/Zempreon – which are all brands available over the counter.

Whilst the dose counter is useful to see how much you’re using, we hope to support your use of the device with this change in place. We understand you have probably never cleaned your reliever devices before now. And that you probably have multiple relievers around the house, so if in doubt – clean them all together, each week. Spacer devices should also be cleaned at least monthly (see here)

We’ve had a variety of feedback about this change (which has brought this to our attention so thank you). We are talking to manufacturers who also want to hear from you, especially if you keep having trouble with your device – see their contact details below.

For medicine that is essential to many people with asthma, it is critical that you follow manufacturer’s instructions for regular cleaning.

Asthma Australia understands that many people wouldn’t have looked at the new dose counter information leaflet in the medication box, however, we encourage you to become familiar with it particularly with this new change.

 You can view it here Ventolin pdf (tga.gov.au)
 You can view it here Zempreon pdf

CLEANING YOUR PUFFER DEVICE

Clean your reliever puffer with dose counter at least once a week.

cleaning your puffer

Download cleaning your puffer device pdf here

To do so:

  1. Remove the metal canister and dose counter from the plastic casing (actuator) of the puffer and remove the mouthpiece cover
  2. Rinse the actuator thoroughly under warm running water
  3. Dry the actuator thoroughly inside and out
  4. Replace the metal canister and the mouthpiece cover.

PLEASE DO NOT PUT THE METAL CANISTER IN WATER.

If you have any other reliever or puffer device, please follow instructions for that device.

CONTACTS

The manufacturer of Ventolin is GlaxoSmithKline Australia Pty Ltd (GSK). To report any problems with the new devices with dose counter please contact GSK Medical Information on 1800 033 109.

The supplier of Asmol and Zempreon is Alphapharm Pty Ltd. To report any problems with the new devices with dose counter please contact Alphapharm on 1800 274 276.

You can report concerns to the Therapeutic Goods Administration, see here https://www.tga.gov.au/reporting-problems

Feel free to call us too on 1800 ASTHMA (1800 278 462)

 

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Devices and Techniques