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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a preventable disease in which persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitations worsen with time. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the world. The treatment of COPD includes various inhaled therapies as well as preventive measures, such as smoking cessation and immunizations. Patient education is crucial to the management of COPD. Medication therapy management (MTM) can play a role in helping patients learn how to manage COPD and decrease complications. Successful MTM interventions can improve patient care and provide a positive impact on the star measures of both pharmacies and healthcare plans.
Medication therapy management (MTM) services have demonstrated impact in a number of areas, including cardiovascular diseases, mental health, and transitions of care.1 MTM services are defined as a service or group of services that optimize therapeutic outcomes for individual patient and include activities such as immunizations, disease state coaching, and medication therapy reviews.2 The purpose of this article is to provide the pharmacist with a brief overview of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and identify areas within an MTM encounter the community pharmacist can capitalize on to improve management of this disease state.