This Inhaler Sucks
Actuation in medical terms is the process of release of product by inhalation via inspiration. All inhaler’s I’ve used have a canister of product, a mechanism that actuates the product, and a chamber opposing the actuator nozzle that delivers the product to the user.
[image error]Asthma Inhaler Simplistic Diagram
Over the decades, I’ve used many rescue inhalers, and for several years, I’ve used Ventolin, an excellent product. Ventolin works well, has not provided side effects for me, and is affordable.
[image error]Ventolin – An Excellent Product
I recently went to Kaiser, to pick up a new inhaler. I usually stick with their excellent mail-order service, especially with COVID-19. This time, however, I’d forgotten to order the product in time, so I had to drive to the pharmacy. It isn’t far, so it wasn’t too bad.
They handed over a new product at the counter. Instead of ventolin, they gave me Perrigo’s generic Albuterol Sulfate HFA inhaler. The photo on the box showed a sleek and modular product, so I figured the ever-efficient Kaiser had discovered something cheaper, but also better, as the non-emergency inhaler, Alvesco, was a good replacement for QVAR, which was discontinued at that time.
[image error]Outstanding Alvesco Maintenance Inhaler
Unfortunately, when I got the Perrigo product home, after the first few dosages, the inhaler stopped emitting the product on demand, but started to retract the product. I came to a few conclusions about this product:
[image error]Perrigo Generic Albuterol Inhaler Actuator –
Defective in my opinion and in others
“It’s supposed to emit product, not retract it…”
“This product sucks”
“The canister content is okay, but the actuator does not work”
I thought maybe the actuator was clogged, but wasn’t sure how to rinse and clear it as with the easy Ventolin actuator. Maybe I’ll have to try that because I trekked to Kaiser and exchanged the product, but the new one did the same thing.
I asked the pharmacist why they were not dispensing Ventolin, and she reported that Kaiser is trying to cut costs by using the Perrigo product… I’ve used products in the past that were generic forms of Albuterol, not just the name brands, Ventolin or Proventil, but the actuators usually work, and if not, a quick rinse, dry and drain, tends to do the trick.
The Perrigo product seems cheap, not merely inexpensive. Apparently I’m not alone in my opinion that the actuators seem defective, and while the product itself seems okay to me, I’m glad I still had a bit of Ventolin left, because I’m using the Ventolin actuator, which works. While the Perrigo canister is a bit short for the Ventolin actuator, the arrangement works, I get relief when breathing is more difficult, and my money is not ultimately wasted.
[image error]Perrigo Canister too short for Ventolin Actuator
I read that Federal Authorities raided Perrigo as a probe into potential price-fixing, in 2017, but later that year they were bought out by private investment firm, SK Capital. Who knows what any of that means, I just hope that with COVID-19 supply-chain issues and corporate financial wranglings, that asthma sufferers continue to have access to working rescue inhalers.
With all the wildfires in California this year, there’s got to be thousands more, with no history of asthma, who are having trouble with breathing, coughing, and other such issues. I’m glad to have what I need for breathing thus far, and hope you do too.
[image error]
(drugs.com has an abysmal review of the Perrigo Albuterol Inhaler)
