Consultation outcome

Supplying asthma inhalers to schools for emergency use

From:
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and Department of Health and Social Care
Published
7 May 2014
Last updated
27 August 2014 — See all updates
This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
This consultation has concluded

Download the full outcome

Amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to allow the supply of salbutamol inhalers to schools

PDF, 158 KB, 15 pages

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Detail of outcome

The Department of Health and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency are grateful to everyone who has supported the research into the potential for the use of an emergency salbutamol inhaler which preceded the public consultation, and everyone who responded to the consultation.

The Department wishes to thank in particular Asthma UK, North Staffordshire Hospital, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and Margot James MP for their support.

The responses received were overwhelmingly supportive of changing the law to allow schools to hold emergency salbutamol inhalers. The government therefore laid before Parliament on 18 July 2014 the Human Medicines (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2014.

These regulations amend the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, to allow schools to hold stocks of asthma inhalers containing salbutamol for use in an emergency. These regulations come into effect on 1 October 2014.

From this date onwards, schools can buy inhalers and spacers (the plastic funnels which make it easier to deliver asthma medicine to the lungs) from a pharmaceutical supplier in small quantities provided it is done on an occasional basis and is not for profit.

A supplier will need a request signed by the principal or head teacher (ideally on appropriately headed paper) stating:

  • the name of the school for which the product is required
  • the purpose for which that product is required
  • the total quantity required

Original consultation

Summary

This consultation is on proposals to amend the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to allow the supply of salbutamol asthma inhalers to be kept in schools for emergency use.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

MHRA is asking for feedback on proposals to allow the supply of salbutamol asthma inhalers in schools for emergency use.

The aim of the proposal is reducing deaths and distress from asthma. The consultation has been jointly produced by the UK Health Departments and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Documents

Proposals to allow the supply of salbutamol asthma inhalers in schools for emergency use (MLX385)

PDF, 149 KB, 15 pages

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Guidance for the use of emergency salbutamol inhalers in schools

MS Word Document, 183 KB

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Published 7 May 2014
Last updated 27 August 2014 + show all updates

  1. Amended attachment uploaded to acknowledge the work of an additional group in pushing for the change to take place.

  2. The outcome of the consultation has been published

  3. First published.