What are the problems with inhalers?  

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Valéry Trosini-Désert, pneumonologist at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris, France, wanted to find a way to deal with a major problem: the misuse of inhalers prescribed for asthma and COPD. 

 

Ready-to-use inhalers are the cornerstone of the long-term treatment of asthma and COPD. However, 30 to 40% of patients don’t know how to use their inhaler correctly and effectively. Patients can lack in professional training or advice, or they may simply forget what they have been told. 

Usage errors are commonplace; this can have a direct impact on how patients’ take their medication, reducing its benefits. 

 

Inhaled drugs are difficult to take correctly, as they require several complex steps that are not always intuitive. Moreover, family doctors and pulmonologists rarely have the time during consultations to comprehensively explain how to use an inhaler, or to monitor correct inhaler use. Short patient consultations are also common at the pharmacy. 

 

Correct inhaler use is vital for relieving the symptoms of asthma and COPD and in preventing these chronic diseases from worsening.

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Health professionals can use Hephaï as an additional therapeutic training tool to help patients learn to use their inhalers properly. 

 

Hephaï is working with its partners in the pharmaceutical industry to develop the most comprehensive application including global pharmaceutical company Chiesi. 

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