Inhaler Tailor
by Beverley Bostock - ARNS
Some of you might have seen the Inhaler Tailor on Dragon’s Den last year. This company produces inhaler covers which aim to make inhalers more eye-catching and fun to use. Inhaler Tailor was born after the couple behind it observed friends having difficulties getting their children to use their inhalers. However, when the cases were added, these children were much happier about taking their treatment. After carrying out a survey of 100 people with asthma who were using the covers, they found that 76% of participants agreed the cases encouraged them to use their preventer inhaler more regularly (in line with their prescription), 87% agreed they felt more confident using their inhaler and 99% agreed that the cases make the inhaler easier to find.
As a result of these findings Inhaler Tailor received some bulk orders from NHS Trusts using money from their Health Inequalities Fund to buy inhaler cases for vulnerable children. Trusts in Warwickshire, Suffolk, Essex and London have invested in a range of products as cases are available for six different inhaler and spacer types and come in over 36 different designs. There are also functional benefits such as the silicone mouthpiece cap holder that prevents caps getting lost, and the eyelet for attaching the inhaler to keyrings.
The ARNS team thought this might be something that other respiratory nurses would like to know about and consider seeking funding for and the company itself can organise discussions with staff from the relevant Trusts to understand how they got the funding through. The standard cost for inhaler cases is £12.99 with spacer cases costing £5.99. To view the products go to www.inhalertailor.com and if you’d like to discuss carrying out a similar project in your area (or getting involved in a research project with the inhaler cases) contact Harriet Hogge on Harriet@inhalertailor.com.