World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Day is an opportunity to pause, reflect, and raise awareness about the silent battle that millions face throughout the world. World COPD Day is not just about the disease; it is also about hope. It is about bringing together voices, communities, and professionals to share information, offer assistance, and develop solutions. It is about a collaborative effort to reduce the burden of COPD by highlighting the need of early identification, successful therapies, and lifestyle changes that can restore power.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a condition with airway blockage that can be prevented and treated. It is distinguished by continuous respiratory symptoms (Bollmeier and Hartmann, 2020). COPD is characterized by episodes of acute dyspnea, which are frequently accompanied by increased cough, purulence, and/or mucus volume. Exacerbations of COPD (ECOPDs) damage health, accelerate lung function damage, and increase the probability of future ECOPDs, hospitalization, as well as death (Celli et al., 2023).

COPD patients are generally older (Celli and Wedzicha, 2019) and have a number of coexisting conditions, such as heart failure (HF), arrhythmias, ischemic heart disease (IHD), anxiety, depression, interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), and bronchiectasis, all of which increase the possibility of ECOPDs and death (Celli et al., 2023; Divo et al., 2012). In addition, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism (PE), and pneumothorax, which can resemble and/or worsen an ECOPD, are common in these individuals (MacLeod et al., 2021).

According to García-Sanz et al., (2017), around 25% and 65% of patients hospitalized with ECOPD die within 1 to 5 years, respectively, because of cardiovascular and respiratory problems, with over 20% admitted again within 30 days after discharge. Notably, around 70% of these readmissions are due to decompensation for other morbidities (Jacobs et al., 2018).

As the globe takes a collective breath, the world COPD Day emphasizes the value of support, empathy, and understanding. It is an event of progress—early detection, better therapies, and small victories which makes living with COPD easier. It's an opportunity to stand with people fighting for every breath, to express our voices in unity, and to carry on the hope of a future free of illness.

On November 20th, however, World COPD Day raises awareness, promoting conversations that spread throughout communities, providing understanding, support, and compassion. On this day, we celebrate every little victory, every step achieved in medical research, and every person who strives to keep going despite difficulties. It's a day to take deep breaths alongside them and recognize the power of empathy and awareness in making a difference. It is a day when the entire world joins together to celebrate the silent heroes who fight every day for the most fundamental of freedoms: the right to breathe. On this day, we take a collective breath of hope, unity, and awareness, knowing that each inhale is a gift and each exhale a reminder of life's weakness and strength.

COPD is most prevalent in people who smoke or have a history of using tobacco, those over the age of 40, and men. Despite instructions that patients with moderate-to-severe COPD obtain maintenance medication, up to 71% of the Medicare population did not obtain it, suggesting areas for development in patient management and care (Bollmeier & Hartmann, 2020).

The silent rhythm of the lungs tells a story of strength. COPD patients are poets of power, creating poems with each difficult breath and finding beauty in even the smallest sigh. World COPD Day is a celebration of their bravery—the strength it takes to get up every day and face a globe that feels heavy with airlessness. It is a day to illuminate light on their path, acknowledging both the difficulties they face and the modest successes they achieve. It is a day of connection—opening our hearts to the difficulties of those living with the condition, and joining together to fight for a future in which people may breathe freely and live their lives properly. It is a celebration of perseverance, a promise that no one will go through the struggle alone, and a promise to make each breath count.

As well, this day highlights the quiet struggles that take place behind closed doors, in homes and hospitals, and in the hearts of those affected. It serves as a reminder that every breath is valuable, and that everyone living with COPD needs to be surrounded by compassion, care, and hope. As we focus on the lives affected by this disease, we also celebrate the power of medical discoveries, research development, and a firm dedication to better treatment for those in most need.

On World COPD Day, the pharmacist takes an honored role—a guardian of breath, a quiet healer in the corner of the drugstore, always ready to offer advice, support, and care. While the world stands in solidarity with COPD patients, pharmacists serve as beacons of knowledge and compassion, illuminating the path to a life in which breathing is no longer an obstacle but a gift.

Beyond science, pharmacists are pillars of empathy. They listen to COPD patients' problems, anxieties, and hopes. They provide not only medicines, but also an atmosphere for patients to express their anxieties and ask questions that are frequently left unanswered. The soft relationship between patient and pharmacist shows understanding—a common commitment to improving quality of life, navigating the ups and downs of living with COPD, and supporting one another in an expression of care and compassion.

However, pharmacists are forgotten heroes in the fight against COPD, as they are typically the first to identify the disease's invisible signs and carefully explain the complexities of medications, inhalers, and appropriate methods that can save lives. On this day, their function is emphasized, not just as prescription distributors, but also as trusted friends in the journey of chronic disease management. They are educators who provide patients with the information they need to take control of their health. Their skill in drug therapy management and patient counseling ensures that each medication taken is a step toward better breathing and a more fulfilling, more open life.

In Summary, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent condition characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and restricted airflow. On World COPD Day, pharmacists reinforce their commitment to being more than healers of the body—they are guardians of hope, bridging the gap between medical advances and the daily lives of persons living with COPD. They push for early discovery, better management, and a higher quality of life. With each patient, they send a message: you are not alone in this fight. Every breath you take is important, and we will be there every step of the journey to help you breathe easier.

References:

• Bollmeier, SG. and Hartmann, AP. (2020). Management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A review focusing on exacerbations. Am J Health Syst Pharm, 77(4): p. 259-268. doi: 10.1093/ajhp/zxz306.

• Celli, BR., Fabbri, LM., Aaron, SD. et al. (2023). Differential Diagnosis of Suspected Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations in the Acute Care Setting: Best Practice. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 207(9): p. 1134-1144. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202209-1795CI.

• Celli, BR. and Wedzicha, JA. (2019). Update on clinical aspects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. N Engl J Med, 381: p. 1257–1266. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1900500.

• Divo, M., Cote, C., de Torres, JP. et al. (2012). BODE Collaborative Group Comorbidities and risk of mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 186: p. 155–161. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201201-0034OC.

• García-Sanz, MT., Cánive-Gómez, JC., Senín-Rial, L. et al. (2017). One-year and long-term mortality in patients hospitalized for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Thorac Dis, 9: p. 636–645. doi: 10.21037/jtd.2017.03.34.

• Jacobs, DM., Noyes, K., Zhao, J. et al. (2018). Early hospital readmissions after an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the nationwide readmissions database. Ann Am Thorac Soc, 15: p. 837–845. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201712-913OC.

• MacLeod, M., Papi, A., Contoli, M. et al. (2021). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation fundamentals: diagnosis, treatment, prevention and disease impact. Respirology, 26: p. 532–551. doi: 10.1111/resp.14041.