PATIENT PERCEPTION OF THE DISKUS INHALER - A COMPARISON WITH THE TURBUHALER INHALER

Asthmatic patients who were regular and experienced users of the meter ed-dose inhaler (MDI) but with no history of powder inhaler use were i nterviewed by questionnaire, Most (71%) of the 159 adults recruited ha d suffered from asthma for more than five years; 89% had used an MDI f or more than one year. In all, 153 (97%) found their current MDI easy or very easy to handle, Effectiveness in delivering the drug and ease of operation were the two features of the device they were most satisf ied with. The two features 'of an ideal inhaler' rated most highly wer e the presence of a dose counter and ease of use during an attack (58% and 72% of respondents, respectively), Other important features inclu ded hygiene, sensation that a dose had been taken, and small size. Whe n attitudes towards the Diskus inhaler and the Turbuhaler inhaler were compared, 108 (68%) would have been quite or very happy to have a Dis kus inhaler prescribed for them, and 79 (50%) a Turbuhaler inhaler. Th e Diskus inhaler scored significantly better than the Turbuhaler inhal er for knowing how many doses were left, the presence of an attached c over, attractiveness (p<0.001), hygiene, shape, weight (p=0.001), and perceived ease of use (p=0.002). The Turbuhaler inhaler scored signifi cantly better in terms of size (p<0.001). Overall, the Diskus inhaler was preferred by 104 of 159 patients (p<0.001), with perceived ease of use, the dose counter, and shape cited as the main reasons for prefer ence.