Ahpra registration PHY0002298174
How these guides are written and reviewed →
An Easyhaler is a dry-powder inhaler shaped a little like a puffer. You load a dose by pressing the top down once until it clicks, then breathe in forcefully and deeply. It often sits inside a protective outer cover.
Budesonide and budesonide/formoterol Easyhalers are taken every day, morning and night, even when you feel well — the benefit builds up over weeks and is lost within days of stopping. Unless your action plan specifically says otherwise, do not take extra doses during an attack; use your separate blue reliever.
Examples of this type
Different medicines come in this device. Common examples include:
- Giona Easyhaler (budesonide)
- Budesonide/formoterol Easyhaler
- Salbutamol Easyhaler
Brand names are examples only and availability changes — always go by the name on your own inhaler and your prescriber's instructions.
How to use it — step by step
Getting the best from it
- Click once only — pressing repeatedly wastes doses.1,2
- Keep it upright between the click and the breath so the powder stays in place.
- Breathe in hard and fast; keep it dry.
Looking after your inhaler
Wipe the mouthpiece with a dry tissue; do not use water. Check the dose counter and reorder in time.
Most people lose some accuracy over time.3,4 We can check your inhaler technique at your appointment.
References & evidence base
- National Asthma Council Australia. Inhaler technique for people with asthma or COPD. Information paper for health professionals. Melbourne: National Asthma Council Australia, 2026.
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Inhaler technique — device-specific checklists. Sydney: ACSQHC, 2020.
Further reading
- Sanchis J, Gich I, Pedersen S; ADMIT Group. Systematic review of errors in inhaler use: has patient technique improved over time? Chest 2016;150(2):394–406.
- Usmani OS, Lavorini F, Marshall J, et al. Critical inhaler errors in asthma and COPD: a systematic review of impact on health outcomes. Respir Res 2018;19(1):10.
References are numbered in citation order (Vancouver/BMJ style) and were current at the time of writing. Always follow the leaflet for your specific device and your prescriber's instructions.
Everything starts with an assessment — your symptoms, breathing, exercise tolerance and daily function measured properly, so what follows is built on your lungs rather than an average.
Corrections: If something on this page is wrong, out of date or unclear, we want to know. Email reception@inspireclinic.au with the page name and what you believe is incorrect. Substantive corrections are made promptly, and the guide’s version and last-updated date are changed to reflect it.