Practice Policy on Prescribing Salbutamol Inhalers

This policy applies to patients aged 12 years and over.

Salbutamol (blue) inhalers provide short-term relief of asthma symptoms but do not treat the underlying airway inflammation that causes asthma. Current national asthma guidance no longer recommends treating asthma with salbutamol alone.

Over-reliance on salbutamol is associated with poor asthma control, increased risk of asthma attacks, hospital admission, and asthma-related death. Regular or early requests for salbutamol usually indicate that asthma is not well controlled and requires review rather than further repeat prescriptions.

Our policy

• We do not prescribe salbutamol as the sole treatment for asthma in patients aged 12 and over.

• We do not issue repeat salbutamol prescriptions without appropriate asthma review.

• We do not prescribe salbutamol “just in case” or for breathlessness without assessment.

• Frequent or early requests for salbutamol will trigger an asthma review, not an automatic prescription.

What this means for patients

If you are using your salbutamol inhaler regularly, please book an asthma review. This allows us to:

• Check your symptoms and inhaler technique

• Review or start preventer inhaler treatment

• Reduce your risk of asthma attacks

If you are acutely breathless or your inhaler is not helping, seek urgent medical advice via NHS 111 or 999 in an emergency.

Our aim is to provide safe, effective, and up-to-date asthma care and to reduce preventable harm from inappropriate salbutamol use.