Resources · Managing Your Condition
Puffers & Inhalers

Rapihaler

pMDI ("Rapihaler") press-and-breathe inhaler.

For patients & health professionals
HandiHaler Managing Your Condition · 22 of 26 Respimat (Soft Mist Inhaler)
Authorship & review
Dr Sean James Ledger, BSc Physio (Hons) MSc PhD FHEA
Director and Principal Physiotherapist
Ahpra registration PHY0002298174
Version
1.0
Last updated
12 August 2026
Next review
12 August 2027
Every guide on this site is reviewed at least once a year, and sooner when the evidence changes.
How these guides are written and reviewed →
In plain language

A Rapihaler is a pressurised puffer (pMDI) with a dose counter, used with the standard slow press-and-breathe technique. It can be used with a spacer, which most people find easier.

Rapihaler
Rapihaler. Device shown for identification — your medicine and colour may differ.
Check whether yours is also your reliever

Symbicort Rapihaler (budesonide / formoterol) is unusual: for some people it is prescribed as a preventer only, and for others as both preventer and reliever (maintenance-and-reliever therapy, or MART). The two regimens are not interchangeable, and taking extra doses is only safe if MART has been prescribed for you. Your written action plan states which applies — if it does not, ask before taking an extra dose.

Examples of this type

Different medicines come in this device. Common examples include:

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

1
Prime if newShake and prime a new inhaler as the leaflet directs before first use.
2
ShakeShake well for about 5 seconds; hold upright and check the counter.
3
Breathe outBreathe out gently, away from the inhaler.
4
Press as you breathe inSeal your lips on the mouthpiece, breathe in slowly and deeply, pressing once at the start of the breath.
5
HoldHold your breath about 6 seconds, then breathe out gently.
6
FinishReplace the cap and rinse your mouth — it contains a steroid.

Getting the best from it

  • If also prescribed as your reliever (Symbicort maintenance-and-reliever therapy), follow your written action plan for extra doses.1,2
  • Slow inhalation; one puff per breath.
  • A spacer improves delivery and reduces throat side-effects.

Looking after your inhaler

Wipe the mouthpiece weekly with a dry tissue; keep the cap on. Do not immerse the canister.

Not sure your technique is right?

Most people lose some accuracy over time.3,4 We can check your inhaler technique at your appointment.

Book an appointment

References & evidence base

  1. National Asthma Council Australia. Inhaler technique for people with asthma or COPD. Information paper for health professionals. Melbourne: National Asthma Council Australia, 2026.
  2. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Inhaler technique — device-specific checklists. Sydney: ACSQHC, 2020.

Further reading

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.

How we treat this at the clinic

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.

Physiotherapy Assessment →
Important: This page is general information on inhaler technique, not a prescription or medical advice. Always follow the instructions from your prescriber and pharmacist, and the leaflet inside your specific medicine. If you are unsure your inhaler is working, or your breathing worsens, contact your care team — or in an emergency call 000. For a technique check, contact Inspire Clinic.

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.