Primary non-adherence to inhaled medications measured with e-prescription data from Poland.

BACKGROUND: Treatment adherence greatly influences the clinical outcomes in various fields of medicine, including management of asthma and COPD. With the recent implementation of a nationwide e-Health solutions in Poland, new and unique opportunities for studying primary non-adherence in asthma and COPD emerged. The aim was to study primary non-adherence to inhaled medications available in Poland indicated in asthma and/or COPD and analyse the impact of patients' demographics and inhalers' characteristics (dry powder inhalers (DPIs) vs metered dose inhalers (MDIs) and presence of a dosage counter) on primary non-adherence. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all e-prescriptions issued in Poland in 2018 (n = 119,880) from the national e-prescription pilot framework. RESULTS: Primary non-adherence for inhalable medications reached 15.3%. It significantly differed among age groups-the lowest (10.8%) was in 75 + years-old patients, highest (18%) in 65-74 years-old patients. No gender differences in primary non-adherence were found. The highest non-adherence was observed for ICS + LABA combinations (18.86%). A significant difference was found between MDI and DPI inhalers and between inhalers with/without a dosage counter. CONCLUSIONS: Out of e-prescriptions for inhaled medications issued in 2018 in Poland, 15.3% were not redeemed. The degree of primary non-adherence was influenced by age, but not gender. Significant differences between MDIs and DPIs and between inhalers with/without a dosage counter were observed.

[Effectiveness of a brief educational intervention relating to the correct use of inhalers on the prevention of exacerbation in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]. / Eficacia de una intervención educativa breve sobre el correcto uso de los inhaladores en la prevención de agudizaciones en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica.

OBJECTIVE: To predict the effect of a brief educational intervention aimed at improving the inhaler technique on the reduction of exacerbations in patients with COPD over a year. MATHERIAL AND METHODS: A triple blind, randomised controlled clinical trial with parallel design. INCLUSION CRITERIA: to be between 40-75 years, having been diagnosed with COPD, and being on treatment with inhalers. A total of 97 patients were randomly selected. They were randomly assigned into 2groups according to their functional severity measured with spirometry. Intervention group: evaluation of the inhalation technique. Their mistakes were corrected using a brief educational intervention. Reinforcement visits were made in the second and seventh month. CONTROL GROUP: evaluation of the inhalation technique. No educational intervention was made. After 1 year of follow-up, the number of exacerbations in each group was checked. VARIABLES MEASURED: social and demographic, study, dyspnoea level, body-mass index, tobacco use, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, COPD stage, BODEX index, number, type, and inhaler technique, number of previous exacerbations. Bayesian inference analysis was performed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 56 patients were assigned to de intervention group and 41 to the control one. There were 16 and 14 lost to follow-up, respectively. In the intervention group, 44.6% of the patients had an exacerbation, compared to the control group, with 56.1%. OR adjusted = 0.57 (95% CI: 0.22-1.22). Posterior probability OR < 1 = 93%. Exacerbations which required hospital admission had an OR = 0.21 (95% CI: 0.02-0.75) with posterior probability OR < 1= 99%. CONCLUSIONS: A brief educational technique is an effective method for reducing the number of exacerbations in patients with COPD.

COPD-treating nurses' preferences for inhaler attributes - a discrete choice experiment.

OBJECTIVE: To assess nurses' preferences for various attributes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) inhalation devices in order to obtain information about the relative importance of the different attributes and their assigned levels. METHODS: Data from a web-based questionnaire among Danish nurses who treat patients with COPD (accomplished in the spring/summer of 2015) was used. A total of 222 nurses completed the questionnaire which was based on discrete choice experiment (DCE) methodology. The probability of choosing an alternative from a number of choices in a discrete choice game was estimated by means of the conditional logit model. RESULTS: The two most important attributes according to the COPD-treating nurses were "Indicator when empty" and "Inspiratory flow rate". In addition, the nurses considered the attribute "Obvious that dose is given" important. The three least-valued attributes were frequency of doses, whether the inhaler requires fine motor skills and whether it requires hand strength. CONCLUSION: Inhalation devices can be classified into five categories, where the soft mist inhaler (SMI) includes the three most important attributes among its characteristics. LIMITATIONS: The study sample size does not allow for subgroup analysis, which would have been valuable. The questionnaire design gives an indication of nurses' preferences and it is assumed that these are similar to real life choices, but the current study cannot conclude on the nurses' actual choices.