The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a medicines supply notification (MSN) for salbutamol (Salamol Easi-Breathe® 100mg/dose breath-actuated inhaler CFC Free, which is expected to be out of stock until late March 2025. 

• Salamol® 100mg/dose inhaler CFC Free is available
• Airomir® 100mg/dose inhaler CFC Free is unavailable, awaiting resupply date. 

Actions required

Where patients have insufficient supplies of Salamol Easi-Breathe® CFC Free inhaler to last until the resupply date:

• prescribe one month supply of salbutamol pMDI with/without spacer. Please note, Salamol® CFC Free inhaler is the local preferred salbutamol pMDI choice; check availability with local pharmacy). Counsel on how to use and on the dose to be administered; or
• in those aged 12 and above, consider whether first line ‘Maintenance and reliever therapy’ (MART) or ‘Anti-inflammatory reliever’ (AIR) therapy is more appropriate than use of salbutamol. See recommendations Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management.

Advice should be sought from specialists on management options if the above is not appropriate. 

ScriptSwitch® messages have been enabled to provide information on this shortage to support primary care. 

Clinicians should refer to the SPS Medicines Shortage Tool for MSN/2025/014 for actions required and supporting information.