Advair® HFA

Instructions for use

1. Wash and dry your hands well.
2. Remove the mouthpiece cover and check for loose parts inside the mouthpiece.
3. Shake the inhaler for 5 seconds.
4. Prime the inhaler into the air away from the face if it is new or has not been used for 4 weeks.
5. Sit up straight or stand up.
6. Hold the inhaler so the mouthpiece is at the bottom and the canister points upward. Fully exhale from your mouth.
7. Place the mouthpiece between your lips. Make sure that your tongue is flat under the mouthpiece and does not block the opening.
8. Seal your lips around the mouthpiece.
9. Push the canister all the way down into the plastic sleeve as you begin to slowly take in a deep breath through your mouth over 5 seconds.
10. Hold your breath for 10 seconds. If you cannot hold your breath for 10 seconds, then hold your breath for as long as possible. Exhale slowly out of your mouth.
11. Wait about one minute if you need another dose of medicine.
12. Repeat steps 5–10 until your reach the dosage prescribed by your doctor.
13. Rinse your mouth or brush your teeth after the last puff of medicine and spit the water out — do not swallow.
14. Replace the mouthpiece cover after each use. Store the inhaler in a cool, dry place.

Key product details

Medication Class and Use

• Combination inhaler (maintenance inhaler, long-acting beta-2 agonist (LABA) and corticosteroid). This inhaler combines two medications that work over time to make breathing easier. Together the medications relax the muscles in the airway and decrease inflammation, swelling and mucus production.
• Use this inhaler every day to prevent symptoms, even when feeling well.
• Do not use for fast relief.
• Do not use in combination with any other LABA containing medication.

Dosing

• Available strengths: 45/21 mcg; 115/21 mcg; 230/21 mcg.
• Asthma dosing in patients ≥12 years: 2 inhalations of 45/21, 115/21, or 230/21 twice daily. Starting dosage is based on asthma severity.
• Usual COPD dosing: two puffs of the 115/21 mcg (=230/42 mcg) twice daily.
• Do not use more than 2 puffs twice daily of any strength due to adverse effects of high dose salmeterol.
• Max dose is 2 puffs (230/21mcg) twice daily.
• Each inhaler contains 120 inhalations (institutional pack = 60 actuations).

Priming

• Priming: 4 sprays before 1st use and 2 sprays if not used in 4 weeks or dropped.

Refill

• Inhaler is empty when dose counter reads 000 (but inhaler may continue to spray with no medicine). Refill when counter reaches 20.

Cleaning

• Clean mouthpiece and small circular sprayer opening inside mouthpiece with cotton swab once weekly. This is important, because buildup of dried medication in the sprayer may reduce effectiveness. You do not need to take the cartridge out of the plastic sleeve.

Safety Information

• Do not combine with any other long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist (LABA) for any reason.
• People with asthma who take LABA medicines, such as salmeterol (one of the medicines in ADVAIR Diskus), have an increased risk of death from asthma problems. It is not known whether fluticasone propionate, the other medicine in ADVAIR Diskus, reduces the risk of death from asthma problems seen with salmeterol.