Oral inhaled medications— beyond bronchodilators

Historically, the inhaled route of medication administration has been associated with the delivery of bronchodilators and/or corticosteroids to treat pulmonary conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. However, this modality of drug delivery is increasingly being explored for use in other disease states, as drug inhalation is associated with several benefits including decreased systemic side effects, higher bioavailability, and more rapid absorption into the body. Certain inhaled medications that are used on-and off-label are encountered less frequently in daily medical practice than conventional bronchodilators. The most common on-label indications for inhaled medications include pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary infections. The most reported off-label uses of inhaled medications include pulmonary infections, acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary hemorrhage, and post–lung transplant.