Treatment adherence in COPD and asthma
Asthma and COPD are two of the most common long-term conditions in the world affecting over 339 million and 212 million people worldwide respectively. While there are effective treatments available to manage asthma and COPD, including bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory medications, these need to be used correctly and appropriately to have a maximal therapeutic effect.
However, adherence to these medications has traditionally been poor due to several interrelated factors. Poor adherence is associated with reduced quality of life, poor clinical outcomes, higher mortality, and high healthcare and societal costs.
Guest advisors
Dr. Amy Hai Yan Chan(The University of Auckland)
Dr. Amy Chan is Associate Professor and Respiratory lead of the Medicines Intelligence group at the School of Pharmacy, University of Auckland. She is a clinical pharmacist by training with over 15 years’ experience working in hospital, where she led one of the clinical pharmacy teams. She now leads a research group that explores the intersection between digital technology, big data and respiratory health, with a focus on asthma care and outcomes.
Dr. Kebede Beyene(University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy)
Dr. Kebede Beyene is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Administration at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, MO, USA. Further, He is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Auckland. His research is centred on evaluating ‘real world’ treatment effectiveness and safety and medication use behaviours, focusing on pain, cardiovascular and mental health medications.
Dr. Christina Pearce(King's College London)
Dr. Christina Pearce currently works as a Research Associate in the Health Psychology Department at Kings College London. Christina conducted her PhD (The Problem of Adherence in Paediatric Asthma) in Health Psychology at University College London and has an interest in long-term condition management and medication adherence.