When assisting patients using inhaler treatments, you should:

• Introduce yourself to the patient
• Ask the patient if you can discuss their inhaler treatment with them. Do not ask: €Can you use your inhaler?€ It is better to say: €Can you show me how you use your inhalerso we can see if we can improve the amount of medicine getting into your lungs?€ Don't rely on the patient's assurance that they know how to use their inhaler €“ most are unaware that their inhaler technique could be improved
• Discuss the inhaler with the patient, explaining what medicine it contains and how it should help their lung condition
• Describe the steps of using the inhaler device (see Table 1 for checklist)
• Demonstrate the optimal inhaler technique to the patient yourself
• Ensure the patient knows how to keep their inhaler clean and in good working order, making sure they know how to recognise when their inhaler is empty or nearly empty
• Ask the patient if they have any questions or concerns about their medicine and the steps to optimise delivery of the drug to their lungs. Inhaler technique must be re-checked and education reinforced regularly in order to maintain optimal delivery of the drug.