Powering Precision' in OAD Management....from Diagnosis to Delivery

Achieving asthma control remains an elusive goal for the majority of patients worldwide. Pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) are the cornerstone of asthma treatment. Despite a better understanding of the pathophysiology of asthma, presence of reliable diagnostic tools, availability of a wide array of effective and affordable inhaled drugs and simplified national and international asthma management guidelines, asthma remains poorly managed in India. However, nonadherence rates for long-term inhaler therapy among adults are estimated to exceed 50%. Nonadherence is associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes and diminished quality of life. The pMDI is an economic and portable medication delivery system, but the device does not indicate how much medicine remains in the canister once a patient starts using it. Lack of a dose counter makes determining the number of remaining doses in an MDI problematic. The addition of an SIMPLE, ACCURATE and RELIABLE digital dose counter to an inhaler can improve patient satisfaction. More trials are needed to determine the merits of different treatments and strategies for patients with inadequately controlled severe persistent asthma and to identify patients likely to benefit from new treatment options.