GWEN MYLES S.

JOVER BSP3-1

“My article of reflection on 2023

GOLDen updates for managing COPD”
On December 12, 2023, in recognition of Pharmacy Week, I had the privilege of participating
in a webinar hosted by the University of the Philippines College of Pharmacy. The person in
charge of the 2023 GOLDen Updates for COPD Management is Charles Ayran, RPh,
Pharm.D. (Melit.) who is now finishing his doctoral studies in Malta. In his lectures, he focuses
on community pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, and pharmacotherapy.
According to Mr. Ayran, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a heterogeneous
lung condition that is characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms such as coughing,
sputum production, dyspnea, and exacerbations brought on by abnormalities of the airways,
such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and alveoli (emphysema), which result in persistent and
frequently progressive airflow obstruction. The four assessments that make up the
assessment for managing COPD are: diagnosing COPD using spirometry; evaluating airflow
restriction; evaluating symptoms using the CAT or mMRC scale; evaluating exacerbation risk
(the number of COPD patients who experienced exacerbations and hospitalizations in the
previous year); and evaluating the severity group of COPD using the ABCD or ABE combined
assessment tool. The GOLD grade guidelines are used in the assessment of airflow limitation.
Gold 1 indicates a mild airflow limitation, while GOLD 2 indicates a moderate airflow
limitation, GOLD 3 indicates a severe airflow limitation, and GOLD 4 indicates a very severe
airflow limitation.
There are two COPD symptom scales: the first is the COPD assessment test (CAT), a
quantifiable patient-completed tool. the patient's health as a result of COPD. It enhances
current methods for measuring the FEV1 to determine COPD. Lastly, patients with chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can subjectively classify the severity of their dyspnea
using the mMRC Scale, also known as the Modified British Medical Research Council
Questionnaire. The severity of the dyspnea increases with the degree. This can be used to
calculate the chance of an exacerbation of COPD.
The number of acute exacerbations in the last 12 months is included in the clinical data,
together with the patient's history, the number of exacerbations, and hospitalizations
associated with COPD. There are two categories of exacerbation risk: the first is the high
exacerbation risk group, which includes people who have had two or more moderate
exacerbations in the previous year and have either resulted in a severe hospitalization or an
automatic high-risk exacerbation, or who have had zero or one moderate exacerbation that
has not resulted in a hospitalization.
There are several approaches to track and reduce symptoms, but there are a number of
factors to take into account, including the usage of medications, side effects, smoking status,
and exacerbations. Adopting a healthy lifestyle, exercising, and quitting smoking are two
crucial actions patients with COPD can take to slow the disease's progression. Regular
exercise will improve the overall quality of care for senior citizens. To stop the symptoms, the
patient must change the way they live.
As a severe type of disease, COPD necessitates that healthcare personnel be knowledgeable
about both traditional and non-conventional ways to treat patients' symptoms and improve
outcomes. Understanding the process by which these abilities and knowledge are acquired
is necessary to completely grasp the condition and effectively incorporate self-knowledge to
facilitate and provide patient-centered care.