AB034. Comparative effectiveness of prescribing similarversusdissimilar inhalers for COPD therapy

Background: Prescription of different inhaler types for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may lead to poorer outcomes through increased demands on patients to master dissimilar inhalation and dose preparation manoeuvres. To describe the demographic, co-morbidity, and clinical characteristics of patients with COPD prescribed ‘dissimilar’versus‘similar’ inhalers.

Methods: The study was a historical cohort observational design assessing a 1-year baseline period for patient characterization and categorisation of inhalers, and an index date to signal the last date of data extraction from the UK Optimum Patient Care Research Database (OPCRD). Patients had 1-year of continuous data between February 2008 and February 2015, a Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) coded diagnosis for COPD, were aged 40 and over, and had evidence of two or more inhaled respiratory treatments. Descriptive statistics included demographic, co-morbidity and clinical characteristics of patients, and comparison of patients prescribed similarversusdissimilar inhalers by GOLD group, FEV1, and number of exacerbations. Based on inhalation technique and dose preparation data in the OPCRD, two different categorisations were used to describe prescribed inhaler type: ‘similar inhalers’ included those patients prescribed either aerosols or similar dry-powder inhalers (DPIs), while ‘dissimilar inhalers’ included those prescribed both aerosols and DPIs.

Results: A total of 53,817 patients were selected [mean age of 71 years (SD 10.6); males: 51% in total population]. 13% were non-smokers, 30% current smokers, 52% ex-smokers and 5% with missing smoking status. In the baseline year, 39% received a QOF coded diagnosis for asthma, 36% for diabetes, 26% for ischaemic heart disease, 6% for actively treated rhinitis, and 1.3% for diagnosis for pneumonia. Patients prescribed dissimilar inhalers were of similar age to those prescribed similar inhalers (mean age of 71 in each cohort). The largest contributor for the prescription of dissimilar inhalers was the prescription of short-acting beta-agonists (SABA). Patients in each categorisation were classified according to GOLD group criteria.

Conclusions: The majority of COPD patients were prescribed dissimilar inhalers, with a greater proportion associated with more severe stages of COPD. There is a need for further assessing outcomes for patients with COPD prescribed dissimilar vs. similar inhaler devices.

Keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); inhaler; prescription; effectiveness