JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Primatene Mist, an over-the-counter medicine sold for the relief of bronchial asthma, has been on the market since the 1960s.
Those who use the medicine may want to stock up now or find another alternative, because come Jan. 1, the inhalers won't be on store shelves anymore.
The reason the Primatene Mist inhaler is being pulled has nothing to do with the medicine itself. Instead, it's because the makers can't defend what it's doing to the environment.
"This is kind of the last one out there that could cause problems with the environment," pharmacist Gary Roberts, owner of Roberts' South Bank Pharmacy, said of the asthma medicine.
Just $16 to $20 gets users 260 puffs, according to product's website. The problem is that the inhaler has chlorofluorocarbons that propel the medicine. CFCs also deplete the ozone and are being phased out.
"I don't think it probably should be used much longer. It's lived out its life," Roberts said.
While the environmental impact is what's forcing Primatene Mist off store shelves, Roberts said he never thought an over-the-counter inhaler was a good idea.
"I think most people seek help from their physician, and there are much better drugs out there," Roberts said. "This is probably a drug of convenience, I think, and it probably served a purpose many years ago."
As of now, there's no over-the-counter alternative available.
It's unclear whether the makers of Primatene Mist will come up with another product by the deadline. If they do, it will need Food and Drug Administration approval before it can hit store shelves.
"It takes a new drug application, and that takes a process," Roberts said. "And for a drug that's been around that long, I don't know if there's a cost benefit for that company."
In the meantime, Roberts suggests users talk with their doctor or pharmacist now about another option, because getting caught without an inhaler could be fatal.
"When the bronchioles make it hard to breathe, you need to relieve that because it can progress in a hurry," Roberts said.
Prescription inhalers are covered by most insurance policies, but for those who don't have insurance, the inhalers can cost anywhere from $40 to $50, more than twice the amount for Primatene Mist.
