Effect of inhalation flow rate on the dosing characteristics of dry powder inhaler (DPI) and metered dose inhaler (MDI) products

Both the dose delivered from the device and the particle size of the medication are important parameters for inhalation products because they influence the amount of drug that is delivered to the patient's lung. The inspiratory flow rate may vary from dose to dose in a given patient and between patients. The Marple-Miller Cascade Impactor, a new multistage inertial impactor that operates at two flow rates (30 and 60 liters/min) with comparable particle size cut-offs, provides a means to study the effect of inhalation flow rate on the particle size distributions of inhalation products. The medication delivery, mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD), and fine particle mass were determined, in a randomized fashion, for albuterol, beclomethasone, budesonide, and terbutaline in both metered dose inhaler (MDI) and dry powder inhaler (DPI) products as a function of flow rate. In all cases, independent of drug or device used, the MDI products had a more reproducible respirable dose than the breath-actuated DPI products tested as a function of inhalation flow rate.