Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-propelled albuterol inhalers are being phased out of production.
Under an international environmental treaty, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the United States has agreed to phase out ozone depleting substances including CFCs.
No CFC-propelled albuterol inhalers may be produced, marketed, or sold in the U.S. after December 31, 2008. As the compliance date draws near, fewer generic albuterol inhalers will be available as supplies decrease.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico (BCBSNM) members using a generic albuterol inhaler should contact their doctor about switching to a hydrofluoroalkane (HFA)-propelled albuterol inhaler.
Three HFA-propelled albuterol inhalers are approved by the FDA: ProAir® HFA, Proventil® HFA, and Ventolin® HFA. An HFA-propelled inhaler containing levalbuterol, a bronchodilator similar to albuterol, is available as Xopenex® HFA. Proair HFA and Xopenex HFA are on the BCBSNM Drug List.
Albuterol inhalers are used to treat bronchospasm (wheezing) in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
