Inhaler Services

Personalised Action or Self-Management Plans

If you have asthma or COPD, you may have been given an asthma action plan or a COPD plan. These tell you and your doctor, nurse or pharmacist about the following:

• Your lung condition
• Which inhalers you take every day
• What to do if your symptoms get worse
• Emergency action to take if you are having asthma or COPD attacks.

If you don’t have an asthma action plan or a COPD plan, you can ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist for one at your next appointment.

New Medicines Service

The New Medicine Service is a type of review offered free on the NHS by your pharmacy to help you get the most out of your medicines, such as new inhalers, prescribed for you. There are 3 steps to the review as explained below.

Step 1. Your pharmacist will give you information about the service.

Step 2. You will be invited to see a pharmacist between 7 and 14 days after you receive your new medicine (inhaler) for a confidential conversation. The pharmacist will ask you how you are getting on with your new inhaler and be able to give you tips on using it correctly. If you have any concerns or questions about your new inhaler, you can also talk to them about these.

Step 3. Your pharmacist will arrange to see or speak to you again 14 to 21 days after you first see them for another chance to talk to them about your new inhaler.

This leaflet will give you more information on the New Medicine Service (https://cpe.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NMS-patient-leaflet-Aug-2021.pdf).

For more information about lung health and your inhaler visit https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/

Find out more

Read our leaflet and posters providing important information about inhaler medicine:

Inhaler Leaflet

Inhaler Poster

Inhaler Technique Poster