Inhaler Adherence and Technique – What’s the Big Deal?

Optimising adherence and technique to ensure the best patient care

Respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD are typically managed by daily inhaled medication and the efficacy of an inhaled medication depends upon a patient’s adherence to their therapy – whether the medication is actually taken as prescribed.¹

Studies have demonstrated that increased patient adherence may be associated with improvements in asthma control and quality of life,² and a lower risk of severe asthma exacerbations.³

Despite this, patient adherence remains a challenge for clinicians with a range of factors contributing to suboptimal adherence in asthma and COPD patients such as inhaler technique, complexity of medication regime, efficacy, age-related factors, comorbidities and personal factors that affect the ability to self-manage disease.^1,4

In this webinar Grainne d’Ancona discusses ways in which healthcare professionals can support the optimisation of patient adherence and inhaler technique to ensure optimal patient outcome, including practical tips shared on how to improve adherence and motivational strategies that can be employed to help with encouraging adherence.

References

1. George M, Bender B. New insights to improve treatment adherence in asthma and COPD. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2019 Jul 31;13:1325-1334. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S209532. PMID: 31534319; PMCID: PMC6681064.

2. Thoonen BP, Schermer TR, Van Den Boom G, et al. Self-management of asthma in general practice, asthma control and quality of life: a randomised controlled trial. Thorax. 2003;58(1):30-36. doi:10.1136/thorax.58.1.30

3. Engelkes M, Janssens HM, de Jongste JC, Sturkenboom MC, Verhamme KM. Medication adherence and the risk of severe asthma exacerbations: a systematic review. Eur Respir J. 2015;45(2):396-407. doi:10.1183/09031936.00075614

4. O’Toole, J., Krishnan, M., Riekert, K. et al. Understanding barriers to and strategies for medication adherence in COPD: a qualitative study. BMC Pulm Med 22, 98 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-022-01892-5

• Grainne D'Ancona

  Consultant Pharmacist and Senior Lecturer

  Read biography
  Grainne D'Ancona

  Consultant Pharmacist and Senior Lecturer Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust & Kings College London

  Role and Location
  Gráinne d’Ancona is the consultant pharmacist for respiratory and sleep medicine at Guys and St Thomas NHSFT and clinical lecturer at Kings College London.

  Education
  MSc, MClinRes, IPrescr, FRPharmS

  Research Interests

  Adherence in asthma, applications of FeNO, eosinophilic asthma, severe asthma.

  Memberships

  She was a member of the BTS/SIGN guideline committee for over ten years; contributed to the development of the NICE asthma quality standards, co-wrote the BMJ COPD learning module and was on the RCP National COPD audit programme board. She is a committee member of the UKCPA respiratory committee, co-chaired the SEL Responsible Respiratory Prescribing Committee.