Pulmonary administration medicines 2: dry powder inhalers and nebulisers

Abstract

Inhaled medications are the mainstay of pharmacological treatment for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. This second article in a two-part series describes the procedure for teaching patients to administer inhaled medicines using dry powder inhalers and the procedure for administering inhaled medicines using a nebuliser. Part 1 outlined the principle of pulmonary administration and the procedure for administering pressurised metered dose inhalers with and without a spacer.

This article has been double-blind peer reviewed

Professional responsibilities

This procedure should be undertaken only after approved training, supervised practice and competency assessment, and carried out in accordance with local policies and protocols.