ePulmonology Review

COPD: Key Factors Supporting Increased Medication Adherence

In this issue:

COPD is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in the US. Despite the growing availability of efficacious pharmacotherapy for COPD, patients still experience a significant disease burden, with more than half reporting significant impairment in functioning. Thus, the efficacy of COPD medications in clinical trials stands in stark contrast to the poor outcomes experienced by patients in the real world. One possible explanation for this gap is low rates of medication adherence. Recent research has identified risk factors for poor adherence that should be considered by clinicians. Future research is needed to identify effective interventions to improve medication adherence in COPD.

In this issue, we review the prevalence and impact of medication adherence in COPD, key patient and physician factors associated with medication non-adherence, and potential effective interventions to improve adherence.

Learning objectives:

After participating in this activity, the participant will demonstrate the ability to:

• Describe the high prevalence of medication non-adherence and its negative impact on clinical outcomes in patients with COPD.
• Identify patient risk factors that are associated with poor medication use in COPD.
• Discuss efficacious interventions to support medication adherence.