An albuterol refill that actually looks at how often you're using it.
Clara counts your rescue-inhaler refills, reads your last spirometry, and checks whether you're stepping into SABA-overuse territory before a physician signs off.
A rescue-inhaler refill that reads your chart first.
Tell Clara what you need
Say you need a refill of ProAir, Ventolin, or Proventil. Clara auto-pulls your prior albuterol refill history, your controller-inhaler adherence, and your last spirometry from 150,000+ connected records.
AI counts your SABA use
Clara counts your albuterol canisters per year. Using more than 3 canisters per year, or needing it more than twice a week, meets GINA criteria for uncontrolled asthma and should trigger a controller discussion, not just another refill1.
Reviewed and signed off
A licensed physician reviews the refill request and, if the refill pattern suggests your asthma plan needs updating, signs off on a controller prescription at the same visit. The refill goes to your pharmacy.
See your albuterol canister count before you ask for another refill.
Albuterol formulations and what Clara adds alongside them.
Albuterol HFA (ProAir, Ventolin, Proventil)
90 mcg per actuation, 1–2 puffs every 4–6 hours as needed for shortness of breath, wheeze, or cough, or 15 minutes before exercise. Onset within minutes. The FDA label is clear: "not to be used as monotherapy" for persistent asthma3.
Albuterol nebulizer solution
2.5 mg/3 mL vials for patients who do better with a nebulizer (young kids, severe shortness of breath, coordination problems with an MDI). Typically used with a spacer, or via nebulizer machine at home.
ICS–formoterol (budesonide/formoterol)
The moment Clara's AI sees your albuterol use cross GINA thresholds, the right conversation is adding an ICS–formoterol controller — not just refilling the rescue again. GINA Track 1 uses this as both controller and reliever1. See the asthma page.
Spacer (valved holding chamber)
Improves deposition of MDI medication in the airways by 20–50% vs an MDI alone, especially for kids, older adults, and anyone with coordination issues. Clara can prescribe one when it's not already in your chart.
Allergy plan alongside
If your rescue refills cluster with pollen season, the rescue refill isn't the whole plan. Clara checks your allergy history and may add an intranasal steroid or allergy regimen in the same visit.
When a refill alone isn't safe
If your SABA use is extremely high (a canister every month or two), if you've had a recent ED visit or systemic steroid burst, or if your last spirometry was severely abnormal, Clara routes you to in-person evaluation instead of refilling indefinitely.
Most albuterol refills come from a provider who hasn't counted your canisters.
| Clara | Teladoc | CVS MinuteClinic Virtual | GoodRx coupon only | Your doctor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI response time | Instant, 24/7 | Scheduled video | Clinic hours | Coupon — no provider | Days |
| Reads your refill history | Intake only | Portions of records | ✗ | If your PCP | |
| Flags SABA overuse & adds a controller | Automatic | Provider-dependent | Provider-dependent | ✗ | Provider-dependent |
| Cost of visit | Free to start; $25/mo membership | Variable, often through employer | $107–$164 out of pocket | No visit — Rx only | $150+ copay |
| Prescription may be covered by your insurance | Sent to your pharmacy | Cash coupon only | |||
| Rx-level pharmacy price (albuterol HFA) | ~$15–$32 cash at pharmacy, or your pharmacy benefit | Same pharmacy, same price | Same pharmacy, same price | ~$15–$32 cash2 | Same pharmacy, same price |
| Full primary care access | One membership | Separate | Per-visit only | Coupon only |
Refill and asthma plan in one chart, not five visits.
An albuterol refill is a data question disguised as a logistics question.
You can get an albuterol refill anywhere. The question is whether the provider noticed that the refill you're asking for is your fourth this year. That's the kind of thing an AI reading your entire chart every single message actually catches.
Counts canisters, not just visits
Clara tallies your SABA refills across pharmacies and years from your connected records. When the count crosses the GINA threshold, the response isn't just "here's a refill" — it's "here's a refill and let's talk about adding a controller."
One message, one chart, one plan
You don't have to explain your asthma history again. Clara already has your triggers, your spirometry, your allergy pattern, and every prior refill. Your old doctor probably has some of this; a per-visit telehealth provider almost certainly doesn't.
Signed off every time
AI handles the reasoning and the chart pull. Every prescription is reviewed and signed before it's transmitted to your pharmacy. That's the compliance layer and the safety layer.
An AI that tallies every SABA canister across pharmacies and years.
Common questions
Albuterol questions patients ask.
What does Clara cost?
How much does albuterol actually cost at the pharmacy?
How is Clara different from Teladoc or CVS MinuteClinic for getting a refill?
How often is too often to use my rescue inhaler?
Can I use albuterol alone if my asthma is mild?
Is albuterol safe during pregnancy?
What if Clara won't just refill my albuterol?
Is Clara a real medical practice?
Can I use Clara for other health issues too?
Stop refilling albuterol without a controller conversation.
Connect your records for free. See what an albuterol refill looks like when the AI already knows how many you've had this year and whether your controller plan needs an update.
Get startedClara prescribes albuterol for patients with mild-to-moderate asthma and as a rescue inhaler alongside appropriate controller therapy. Albuterol should not be used as monotherapy for persistent asthma; GINA and the FDA prescribing information explicitly recommend pairing a SABA rescue inhaler with an inhaled corticosteroid. Patients with severe asthma, frequent exacerbations, or atypical symptoms require in-person evaluation. ProAir, Ventolin, and Proventil are registered trademarks of their respective owners.
For important safety information about the medications discussed on this page, see the FDA prescribing information: albuterol (Ventolin, ProAir, Proventil), budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort).
1Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention, 2024 update. Using a SABA more than twice a week, using 3 or more canisters per year, or night-time waking from asthma indicates uncontrolled asthma and should trigger a controller discussion. View the GINA report.
2GoodRx. Asthma inhalers savings list. Accessed 2026-04-21: "Generic Proventil HFA (6.7g): As low as $19.00–$19.45. Generic ProAir HFA (8.5g): As low as $23.00–$23.76. Generic Ventolin HFA (18g): As low as $32.10. Manufacturers (including GSK) have implemented voluntary programs to cap out-of-pocket costs at $35 per month for eligible patients." View on GoodRx.
3U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Prescribing information for albuterol sulfate inhalation aerosol (Ventolin HFA, ProAir HFA, Proventil HFA). Labeling warns that SABAs should not be used as monotherapy for persistent asthma and discusses use in pregnancy. View on DailyMed.