Symbicort 100/6 and AssiemeMite 80/4.5

[PMRPete]

Are these equivalent?

I opened my new medication this morning and found when I peeled a multitude of labels of the packet this Italian job!

Thoughts please.

[lakelover]

I'm no expert but it seems to me that it wouldn't be as strong. I'd check with the pharmacist or your doctor/nurse.

[Beth_19]

I would double check with your pharmacist or doctor.

[Hidden]

And we all know the Italian Job ended badly!

[PMRPete]

A little further investigation with google, I found an Italian page similar to UK MIM's. Where with google translation it says:-

AssiemEMite 80/4.5

"Each delivered dose (the dose that leaves the mouthpiece) contains:

budesonide 80 micrograms / inhalation and formoterol fumarate dihydrate 4.5 micrograms / inhalation.

Each metered dose contains: budesonide 100 micrograms / inhalation and formoterol fumarate dihydrate 6 micrograms / inhalation."

Now my question is:

"What is the difference between a delivered dose and a metered dose"?

and where does the difference go?

[Choristermum]

The actual delivered dose of Symbicort is lower than the 100/6. I can't remember the exact figures I read but I do remember it being fairly significantly lower so the 80/4.5 is probably about right.

[PMRPete in reply to Choristermum]

Many thanks for that Choristermum.

I have been on Symbicort since 2011 and have been used to nice pristine AstraZeneca packs.

This Italian job was a bit of a surprise to say the least, but I think you are probably right.

Best wishes, Pete

[Choristermum in reply to PMRPete]

Here's a link to a website to confirm!

medicines.org.uk/emc/medici...

[PMRPete in reply to Choristermum]

Thank you.

[Superzob in reply to PMRPete]

Sounds like a classic case of a cheaper substitute! But that shouldn't make it any less effective. Interesting about the difference between the metered and delivered dose. Seems the Italians are more honest as there's bound to be some powder which gets stuck in the inhaler and never reaches your mouth, let alone your lungs!

[Matman]

Think maybe the delivered dose is the dose that makes it into your lungs, and that the metered dose is what comes out of the device. That's more of a guess though.