• M Ta and J George.
• Southern Health Pharmacy Department, Casey Hospital and Department of Pharmacy Practice, Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. mai.ngoc@southernhealth.org.au
• Intern Med J. 2011 Mar 1;41(3):263-70.

BackgroundInformation on the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Australia, especially the extent of adherence to the COPD-X Plan, is sparse.AimTo evaluate COPD patient adherence to treatment recommendations and healthcare provider adherence to the COPD-X Plan.MethodsCross-sectional study of patients admitted to a secondary care hospital with an acute exacerbation of COPD over a 6-month period. Data were collected from patient interviews and medical notes.ResultsParticipants (n= 45) aged 72 ± 11.5 years (mean ± SD) had a mean FEV(1) % predicted 52.2 ± 18.7. At the time 11 (24.4%) patients continued to smoke; 25 (55.6%) had never participated in a pulmonary rehabilitation programme; and 23 (51.1%) self-reported poor adherence to some COPD medications. Inhaler technique was deemed suboptimal in 25 (55.6%) patients. Only 11 (24.4%) patients had received any instructions from their doctor regarding management of exacerbations. The use of medications not supported by the COPD-X guidelines were: long-term prednisolone (11, 24.4%) and prophylactic antibiotics (3, 6.7%).ConclusionManagement of COPD in Australia by both patients and providers remains suboptimal despite the publication and wide dissemination of the COPD-X Plan, suggesting the need to intensify both patient and provider education in COPD management.© 2011 The Authors. Internal Medicine Journal © 2011 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

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