Evaluating Adherence to the 2023 Canadian Thoracic Society Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Pharmacotherapy Guidelines: A Hospital-Based Study.

Abstract

Background: A previous study at Montfort Hospital (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) found that only one-fifth of patients treated in 2022 for a severe acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) were prescribed the appropriate inhaled therapy at discharge. The revised 2023 Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) COPD pharmacotherapy guidelines now recommend inhaled triple therapy as initial maintenance treatment in patients at high risk of AECOPD.

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to determine if adherence to the CTS guidelines significantly improved following the publication of the 2023 statement. A secondary objective was to review the proportion of patients receiving appropriate optimization based on whether they were treated exclusively in the emergency department (ED) or required hospitalization.

Design: Retrospective study.

Methods: Subjects treated for AECOPD in the first 12 months after the publication of the 2023 guidelines were reviewed. Patient characteristics and inhaled therapy were charted. Adherence to the guidelines was compared to the prior cohort from 2022.

Results: A total of 169 patients were treated for AECOPD. After excluding individuals who died in the hospital and those who were maintained on inhaled triple therapy, 74 were candidates for review of their inhaled therapy. 27% received recommended medication optimization at discharge compared to 20% in 2022 (P = 0.25). Adherence to the guidelines significantly improved for hospitalized patients (51% vs 27%, P = 0.02). Only 5% of subjects treated exclusively in the ED received appropriate inhaler optimization. The most common deviations from the guidelines were the continued use of prior therapy (35%) and the lack of any long-acting medication (22%).

Conclusions: Adherence to the CTS COPD pharmacotherapy guidelines remained very low in ED-treated patients. The findings highlight the need for structured COPD care plans.