The ADMIT series - Issues in inhalation therapy. 4) How to choose inhaler devices for the treatment of COPD.

For patients with COPD, inhalation is the preferred route of administration of respiratory drugs for both maintenance and acute treatment. Numerous inhaler types and devices have been developed, each with their own particularities, advantages and disadvantages. Nevertheless, published COPD management guidelines pay little attention to the optimal choice of inhaler devices for COPD patients. Although efficacy and safety are the primary factors determining the choice of an inhaler device, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) directly comparing the efficacy and safety of different inhalers in COPD patients are scarce. Systematic reviews on this subject failed to find significant differences between devices for any of the clinical outcomes studied. When selecting a device for the delivery of inhaled drugs in 'real life' patients with COPD, other factors should be considered. These include availability and affordability of the inhaled drugs and inhaler devices, the uniformity of inhaler devices when several drugs are to be inhaled, the ability of patients to handle correctly the selected device - in particular taking into account the advanced age of the average COPD patient, and finally the patient's preference. The prescribing clinician's task is to provide comprehensive instructions for correct handling of the device and to review regularly the patient's inhalation technique.