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DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1678132
Compliance to respiratory and non-respiratory medication in patients with COPD: results of the German COPD cohort COSYCONET
Publication History
Publication Date:
19 February 2019 (online)
Adherence to COPD medication is often considered to be lower than in other chronic diseases. To achieve comparability we analysed the intake of all medication in the same patients with COPD and frequent comorbidities.
Within the COPD cohort COSYCONET we contacted 1042 patients of GOLD grades 0 – 4, mailing them a list with all medication regarding all their diseases, asking for regular, irregular and non-intake.
Valid responses were obtained in 809 patients covering a wide spectrum of drugs. Intake of LABA, LAMA or ICS was regular in 90.9% of patients, even higher for cardiovascular and anti-diabetes medication but lower for hyperlipidemia and depression/anxiety medication. Regular intake of respiratory medication did not depend on GOLD groups A – D or grades 1 – 4, highest in patients with concomitant cardiovascular disorders and lowest for concomitant asthma. It was larger for LAMA and LABA administered via combined compared to single inhalers, and lower when similar compounds were prescribed twice. Most differences did not reach statistical significance owing to the overall high adherence.
Our results indicate a high adherence to respiratory medication in participants of a COPD cohort, especially in those with cardiovascular comorbidities. This observation suggests room for educational strategies for improvement.
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