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Maintenance Inhalers for Asthma and COPD in Spain
Xavier Muñoz1, Jordi Giner2, Antoni Sicras3
1Vall'd Hebrón Hospital, Department of Pneumology, Barcelona, Spain. xavier.munoz@vallhebron.cat.
Respiratory Care
|June 21, 2024
Summary
Inhaler device use in Spanish asthma and COPD patients varies by age, with frequent switching between pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) and dry powder inhalers (DPIs). Many patients use multiple inhaler devices despite available combination therapies.
Area of Science:
- Respiratory Medicine
- Clinical Pharmacy
- Public Health
Background:
- Asthma and COPD management relies on inhaled therapies.
- Pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) and dry powder inhalers (DPIs) are common delivery devices.
- Understanding device utilization patterns is crucial for optimizing patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the use of pMDIs and DPIs in Spanish patients with asthma or COPD.
- To analyze sociodemographic, clinical, and functional characteristics associated with inhaler choice.
- To investigate switching patterns between pMDIs and DPIs.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective, descriptive, national, multi-center, observational study.
- Utilized a large database of 1.8 million patients.
- Included 24,102 asthma patients and 12,858 COPD patients on maintenance inhaled therapy.
Main Results:
- Inhaler use (pMDI vs. DPI) varied significantly by age group in both asthma and COPD.
- Older patients (≥75 years) favored pMDIs, while middle-aged patients (40-64 years) preferred DPIs.
- Switching between pMDIs and DPIs was common (21.6%-25% annually), and many patients used multiple inhaler devices.
Conclusions:
- Inhaler device selection in asthma and COPD is influenced by patient age.
- Frequent switching between pMDI and DPI devices occurs in clinical practice.
- Suboptimal use of single-device combination therapies was observed, with many patients using multiple inhaler types.
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