Respimat Is First Inhaler to Receive Award for Ease of Use for People With Arthritis

Most instances of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) occur in older adults, who may have comorbid conditions that cause challenges when trying to take medication. For instance, patients with arthritis may find they have difficulties using their inhaler, which can lead to wasted doses and poorer outcomes.

Respimat from Boehringer Ingelheim is now the first and only inhaler to be awarded the Ease of Use Commendation by the Arthritis Foundation. This award identifies products that make life easier for people with arthritis and other physical limitations.

Since Respimat is a slow-moving mist, patients have enough time to breath in the medication, making it easier to use. The spray duration is 1.5 seconds, which is far longer than the usual 0.5 seconds or less with most other inhalers.¹

The Respimat inhaler includes 4 FDA-approved medicines for COPD as well as 1 for asthma.

"The Arthritis Foundation awards its Ease of Use Commendation when a product's design or packaging has been proven to make taking medication easy and comfortable for people living with arthritis," Cindy McDaniel, senior vice president of Consumer Health at Arthritis Foundation, said in a statement. "To earn this Commendation, the Respimat inhaler went through a series of evaluations from experts and people living with arthritis."

Inhalers can reduce adverse effects and increase effectiveness of the drug, but some inhalers can be harder to use than others. For example, multidose inhalers can be a problem for patients with low grip strength or arthritis, according to Contemporary Clinic. Dry powder inhalers may require a preparation step before inhalation, which can also cause problems for patients with low dexterity.

"We are proud of our Respimat inhaler as being the first and only inhaler recognized by the Arthritis Foundation as easy-to-use for everyone," said Jean-Michel Boers, president, Human Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "For nearly a century, we have been committed to advancing care for serious respiratory diseases, and the Respimat inhaler is an important achievement as part of this long-standing commitment."

References

1. Yawn BP, Colice GL, Hodder R. Practical aspects of inhaler use in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the primary care setting. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2012;7:495-502. doi:10.2147/COPD.S32674.