Kids Don't Use Asthma Medications Correctly

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Credit Dottie Mae, Flickr Creative Commons

Asthma Inhaler

Ninety percent of kids using inhalers to control their asthma are NOT using them correctly - according to a new study from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Study leader Betsy Sleath says kids who use inhalers have to use the proper technique in order to deliver a useful dose of the drug directly to the lungs. She says without proper use, the inhalers don't work as well as they could:

"Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions among American children and it's estimated that asthma costs are more than 6 billion dollars a year. And those are healthcare related costs. There's also costs related to lost productivity, whether the kids are missing school or the parents are missing work because of their child's condition."

Sleath found most health care providers don't ask kids to demonstrate they're using inhalers properly. She says parents should ask doctors, nurses or pharmacists to assess how well their kids are using the devices.