Breath-actuated INhalation TheRapy: survey of phySicians’ PErCepTion (INTROSPECT) in Nepal

Abstract

Objective

Breath-actuated inhalers (BAIs) are gaining attention in the management of obstructive airway diseases (OADs). In Nepal, a BAI containing fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (FPS) has been available for a year. This survey is aimed at determining the perception and experience of physicians in Nepal concerning BAIs.

Methods

A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted. A total of 141 physicians participated and filled the survey.

Results

Most physicians felt that the right device should be easy to teach, learn and remember. They considered coordination and multiple steps as the primary challenges with pressurized metered-dose inhalers and dry powder inhalers, respectively. Most of them agreed that BAIs could address these challenges. BAIs were not only preferred by most of the physicians for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but were also the preferred choice in newly diagnosed patients. Physicians believed that if current patients were shifted to BAIs, it could improve inhalation technique (88%) and compliance/adherence (81%). Almost all of them (92–97%) agreed that teaching the breathing technique and the cleaning process was easier and faster in BAIs. BAIs were considered easy and simple to use. Also, BAI’s dose-counter helps patients to increase adherence to inhalation therapy.

Conclusions

In this INTROSPECT survey, physicians in Nepal believed that BAIs could address the key challenges faced with using pMDIs and DPIs in asthma and COPD patients.

Keywords:

• Breath-actuated inhalers
• obstructive airway diseases
• pressurized metered-dose inhaler
• dry powder inhalers
• asthma
• COPD

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the doctors who participated in the survey and the field teams of Cipla Ltd. We also acknowledge Mr. Aniruddha Mukhopadhyay’s contribution to coordinating with the country teams and the agency for data analysis.

Authors’ contributions

All authors contributed to the conception and design of the survey, data analysis, and interpretations and wrote and approved the paper.

Data availability

The authors consent to making the data from the current study available upon reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

Cipla Ltd. funded the survey, Dr. Vaibhav Gaur and Dr. Jaideep Gogtay are permanent employees of Cipla Ltd. Other authors have no conflict of interest in this study. No honorarium was given to any of the authors for conducting this study. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Funding

This survey was funded by Cipla limited, India. No remunerations were paid to the participating physicians.