Back Page: Inhaled medical aerosols: A new training course in the Hawaiian Islands

In Hawai’i, volcanically-generated smog can result in poor air quality poor air quality comparable with that of Los Angeles or London, UK on a hot summer’s day. About 4.4% (age-adjusted = 4.2%) of Hawai’i residents have been told by a healthcare professional they have COPD. A 2010 report noted that social, economic and demographic variation, interspersed with a rapidly-expanding, older-adult population, means that COPD prevalence, morbidity and mortality will continue to increase in the years ahead. In 2014, a new elective course was developed for PharmD and PhD students at the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP) of the University of Hawai’i. It focuses on the essentials associated with inhalation administration. The course is designed to assist in the goal of helping residents in the Hawaiian Islands with lung diseases amenable to inhalation therapy improve their quality of life.