Why is it that an HFA inhaler has half the medication and costs four times as much?

Hi BRKyle,

Thank you for your question. The HFA inhaler has the same amount of medication as the old inhaler. It is true that the HFA inhaler is 8.5 grams and the old inhaler was 17, but that may be because the new propellant is lighter than the old one. A single HFA albuterol inhaler still contains 200 puffs, with each puff delivering 90 mcg of albuterol. It should last for the same amount of time as the old inhalers. The price increase is because of the patents and marketing rights - I'm not really sure how that all works exatly. There are three HFA inhalers available, ProAir, Ventolin HFA and Proventil HFA. ProAir is the least expensive and Proventil is the most expensive. They're all the same, so next time you get it filled ask your pharmacist about getting one of the less expensive ones. If you have insurance, your copay might not change, but if you pay cash it could save you a few dollars. I hope this helps.

Best of luck,

Casey