According to Tonya Winders, chief of non-profit group Allergy and Asthma Network, a lot of people aren't using their inhalers correctly or are using them too often. She explained that a tool like this can enable doctors to see their patients' inhaler usage, identify issues with the way they're using it and help them manage their condition or illness.

The FDA also approved a smart sensor that can be installed onto a patient's inhaler to track their usage earlier this year. ProAir's creator says it's the first inhaler with built-in sensors, though, which is probably why it needs to be tested more. It will first be available in 2019 through a number of early experience programs, with a national launch planned sometime in 2020.