An inhaler for delivering a pharmaceutical to the airway of a human or animal patient comprises a first housing, an interface for delivering the pharmaceutical to the patient and a second housing containing electronics for monitoring a sensor and controlling operation of the vibratory device. The first housing contains at least one dose of a pharmaceutical in powder form, a vibrating device for aerosolizing the pharmaceutical and an aerosol chamber. The interface is connected to the aerosol chamber of the first housing. The sensor is adapted to generate an output proportional to flow rate and is included in or as part of the first housing or interface. The sensor comprises a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, microphone, or other sensor adapted to sense the patient’s inhalation and to send a signal to a signal processor to control the dispensing of the dose and operation of the vibrating device. The vibrating device is arranged to be operated intermittently over a series of breaths each for a fraction of the duration of the patient’s breath, to essentially completely dispense the dose, and operation of the vibrating device coincides with the patient’s inhalations. The inhaler is arranged so that upon operation of the vibrating device the dose is expelled from the aerosol chamber via a synthetic jet into the interface for inhalation by the patient.
