The cynical side of me wonders how much pressure was put on the EPA by the manufacturers of prescription albuterol inhalers. We've been discussing crony-capitalism in another thread, and using regulatory power to eliminate competition is exactly the kind of thing we've been discussing.
A government agency has shut down an entire product line by fiat. Looking at who benefits by the elimination of Primatene Mist and exploring their interactions with the EPA should be job #1 of some crack young journalist, or perhaps a congressional investigation.
In my f**king dreams, that is.