Addressing the Climate Impact of Inhalers

Metered-dose inhalers are an essential treatment for the two most common respiratory diseases in the United States: asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; 144 million metered-dose inhalers were prescribed in 2020 alone. But as climate change continues to affect the health of patients with respiratory diseases, it is now understood that the metered-dose inhalers patients depend on are contributing to the climate change crisis. Gregg L. Furie, MD, MHS, Medical Director of Climate and Sustainability at Brigham and Women’s Hospital joins host Jodi F. Abbott, MD, MSc, MHCM, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, and Medical Director for the American Medical Association (AMA) Ed Hub to discuss practical changes that clinicians can implement to reduce the climate impact of metered-dose inhalers, while prioritizing patient care.

Gregg L. Furie, MD, MHS

Dr. Gregg Furie is a primary care physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he serves as the medical director of climate and sustainability. In this role he works to prepare clinicians to address current and emerging health threats from climate change and to reduce the environmental impact of clinical care. He is a member of the Brigham Climate Action Council and the Mass General Brigham Climate and Sustainability Leadership Council. Dr. Furie graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Medical School, completed residency in internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar at Yale.

Jodi F. Abbott, MD, MHCM, MSc

Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, and Medical Director for the American Medical Association (AMA) Ed Hub

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