Initiation of triple therapy maintenance treatment among patients with COPD

Triple therapy is indicated for patients with very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Use of this treatment in the appropriate patient population is important to ensure optimal outcomes. This study quantified the use of triple therapy and assessed concordance with 2013-2016 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) recommendations within a national health plan.

Retrospective cohort study using data from a large national health plan.

To estimate the prevalence of triple therapy using claims data, patients in the first of 2 cohorts were indexed on their first diagnosis of COPD between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2014, and required to have 24 months postindex continuous enrollment. To assess concordance with GOLD recommendations, a second cohort was created and indexed on the date of triple therapy initiation between January 1, 2013, and November 30, 2016, and required to have 12 months preindex and 1 month postindex continuous enrollment. For both cohorts, patients were aged 40 years or older, with no International Classification of Diseases code for asthma, cystic fibrosis, or lung cancer during the study period.

In the first cohort of 92,248 patients with COPD receiving any COPD maintenance medication, 17% were prescribed triple therapy. In the second cohort (n = 19,645), the majority (60%) of patients on triple therapy were classified as GOLD group A or B (ie, no evidence of any exacerbation or only 1 exacerbation not resulting in hospitalization at baseline).

Results showed that triple therapy was often prescribed among patients classified as GOLD group A or B. Additional research is required, however, to further assess whether these patients may have had an exacerbation that was not evident in claims data. Treatment of COPD should be individualized to optimize outcomes and reduce adverse events.