Approximately two-thirds of inhalers used by patients with COPD are not used correctly, leading to inadequate medication delivery, according to two new studies.
Poor inhaler technique significantly reduces the effectiveness of treatment, increasing the risk of poor symptom control, exacerbations and hospitalisation.
Both studies, published in the journal Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, call for improved patient education and tailored inhaler training to ensure proper use, which is essential for achieving better outcomes in COPD management.
The first found that fewer than a third of patients used their inhalers correctly. Misuse was categorised as either a critical error in inhalation technique or insufficient peak inspiratory flow. These errors result in a lesser dose of medication reaching the person’s lungs.
Even after specific training by a physiotherapist, one in 10 inhalers continued to be used suboptimally, either due to an inability to generate sufficient inspiratory effort or because the inhaler was unsuitable for the patient’s characteristics. In the second study, the author concluded that despite advances in inhaled therapy – such as combination inhalers and the ability to match devices to the patient’s characteristics and abilities – there are continuing challenges to patients’ effective use and adherence to inhaled therapies.2 More resources are needed to support patient education, particularly in terms of the ‘when, why, how and what’ of inhaler use. However, clinicians often lack the skills and knowledge to deliver inhaler technique education, so while guidelines recommend assessment and education at all health care encounters, education is often simply not provided effectively or at all.
1. Grandmaison G, et al. Chronic Obstr Pulm Dis 2024; 11(4): 406-415. doi: https://doi.org/10.15326/jcopdf.2024.0505
2. Press VG. Chronic Obstr Pulm Dis 2024; 11(4): 331-340. doi: https://doi.org/10.15326/jcopdf.2024.0546
