Yearly checks
She added that pharmacists were ideally placed to talk patients through using the devices when they picked them up from the chemist.
Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and policy at Asthma UK, said even though in theory everyone with an inhaler should have their technique checked annually, figures showed a third of people with asthma make mistakes with their inhalers.
And many of these mistakes are significant enough to reduce the effectiveness of their treatments.
"This is also hugely wasteful - asthma-prescribing is one of the most expensive areas of cost for the NHS, costing almost £1bn annually.
"You wouldn't give someone a new car without them having driving lessons first, so if you are going to invest in prescribing a lifetime of asthma medicines, it's crucial that healthcare professionals ensure that their patients know how to use them.