Comparison of Patient Preference and Ease of Teaching Inhaler Technique for Pulmicort Turbuhaler ® versus Pressurized Metered-Dose Inhalers

A multicenter, randomized, open-label, crossover study with two 4-week evaluation periods compared patient preference and ease of teaching correct inhaler technique for Pulmicort Turbuhaler^® versus pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs). Patients 18 to 65 years of age with stable, mild to moderate asthma, who required or were eligible for inhaled corticosteroid therapy, were randomized to treatment sequences consisting of 4-week evaluation periods with Pulmicort Turbuhaler (budesonide inhalation powder) two puffs (400 μg) bid and one of three inhaled corticosteroids via pMDI: Aerobid^®-M (flunisolide) four puffs (1 mg) bid, Flovent^® (fluticasone propionate) two puffs (440 μg) bid, or Vanceril^® Double Strength (beclomethasone dipropionate) five puffs (420 μg) bid. Patients indicated device preference at study end and completed the Patient Device Experience Assessment (PDEA) questionnaire after each evaluation period. Ease of teaching, time required to master use of the device, percentage of patients demonstrating mastery on the first attempt, and the number of attempts required to demonstrate mastery were assessed. Despite previous use of pMDIs by most patients, Pulmicort Turbuhaler was significantly preferred (p < 0.001) and required significantly less time to master than pMDIs (p < 0.001). Median times to device mastery were 3.67 min for Pulmicort Turbuhaler versus 5.33 min for pMDIs. Patients rated Pulmicort Turbuhaler significantly better than pMDIs on PDEA ease of use (p = 0.0005) and overall satisfaction (p < 0.0001) single-item scales and all four multi-item scales (pharyngeal symptoms, oral sensation, operational use, and inhaler attributes; p < 0.05). Overall, patients preferred Pulmicort Turbuhaler over pMDIs and required less time to be taught how to correctly use Turbuhaler™.