Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Management

Master the evidence-based diagnosis, pharmacotherapy, inhaler technique, and nonpharmacologic management of asthma and COPD — with the clinical frameworks and patient education tools to optimize outcomes.

This comprehensive course equips healthcare professionals with the evidence-based strategies, clinical frameworks, and practical tools needed to confidently manage asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in real-world practice. Grounded in the latest GINA 2025 and GOLD 2026 guidelines, the course covers the full scope of asthma and COPD care — from pathophysiology and diagnostic criteria through pharmacotherapy, inhaler education, functional medicine considerations, and the social determinants that drive outcomes in your patient population.

4 CE (3 Rx) — Self-Paced Online — $399 Regular Price

Why This Course Matters


Asthma affects approximately 25 million Americans, and COPD — the sixth leading cause of death in the United States — affects roughly 15 million more. Together, these two chronic respiratory diseases represent one of the highest-burden, most frequently mismanaged condition categories in primary and specialty care. For nurse practitioners and advanced practice providers managing patients across outpatient, primary care, urgent care, and specialty settings, the clinical stakes are high: undertreated asthma drives preventable exacerbations and ED visits; misclassified COPD leads to inappropriate therapy and progressive decline.


At the same time, the pharmacotherapy landscape for both conditions has grown substantially more complex. GINA 2025 has updated its preferred treatment tracks and stepped-care approach for asthma across all age groups. GOLD 2026 has revised COPD classification, initial therapy selection, and the expanded role of biologics and emerging agents. Many providers managing these patients are doing so without formal update training aligned to current guidelines — and without the inhaler education skills required to ensure their patients can actually use the medications prescribed.


This course closes that gap. Developed by a clinical pharmacist practitioner with more than a decade of experience in ambulatory care and a graduate degree in medical education, it delivers the clinical content, guideline-aligned frameworks, and practical tools to manage asthma and COPD at the standard current evidence demands — including a dedicated section on social determinants of health that is rarely included in traditional review content.

Course Overview

A guideline-aligned, holistic review of asthma and COPD for healthcare professionals — from pharmacology and diagnosis through patient education, functional medicine, and health equity.


This course is organized into five integrated content areas. The pharmacology module establishes the complete framework for inhaled medications — including SABAs, LABAs, ICS, SAMAs, LAMAs, and common combination products — before the course moves into disease-specific content. The asthma module covers pathophysiology, phenotypes, diagnostic criteria across all age groups, assessment frameworks, and the full stepped-care treatment algorithm from GINA 2025 including both Track 1 (ICS-formoterol) and Track 2 approaches. The COPD module applies the same clinical depth to COPD — covering pathobiology, GOLD classification, the ABE assessment tool, initial and follow-up pharmacotherapy, exacerbation management, and intensification strategies.


Both disease modules include nonpharmacological and functional medicine content — covering smoking cessation, physical activity, diet, breathing exercises, pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen therapy, and evidence-reviewed supplements including vitamin D, black seed, N-acetyl cysteine, maritime pine, fish oil, and boswellia serrata. The inhaler education module covers all three major inhaler device types — pMDI, DPI, and SMI — with technique instructions, common errors, and teach-back methods for clinical use. The course closes with a dedicated social determinants of health module addressing how poverty, housing, neighborhood, healthcare access, race/ethnicity, and psychosocial stress drive asthma and COPD disparities — and what clinicians can do to address them.


Throughout the course, case-based 'Check Your Understanding' questions apply content directly to clinical scenarios, reinforcing decision-making across diagnostics, pharmacotherapy selection, and patient education.

Learning Objectives

Upon completing this course, you will be able to:

•      Recall the current diagnostic criteria for asthma and COPD

•      Develop an appropriate treatment plan for asthma and COPD, including pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic options

•      Summarize functional medicine principles for the management of asthma and COPD

•      Explain proper inhaler technique for various medication delivery devices to effectively teach these techniques to patients and caregivers

•      Explain the impact of social determinants of health on asthma and COPD outcomes, including approaches to address these factors in patient care

What You'll Learn


Inhaled Medications

•      Distinguish between short- and long-acting beta agonists (SABA, LABA), inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), short- and long-acting muscarinic antagonists (SAMA, LAMA), and their mechanisms, side effects, and clinical pearls

•      Apply combination inhaler products — including Advair, Anoro, Breo, Breztri, Combivent, Symbicort, Stiolto, and Trelegy — to the correct indications (asthma, COPD, or both)

Asthma

•      Apply current GINA 2025 diagnostic criteria for asthma in children (≤5 years, 6–11 years), adolescents, and adults — including spirometry thresholds, bronchodilator responsiveness, and biomarker interpretation

•      Assess asthma symptom control, exacerbation risk, treatment issues, and comorbid conditions using the GINA framework

•      Classify asthma severity (mild, moderate, severe) and select appropriate pharmacotherapy using the GINA stepped-care model — including Track 1 (ICS-formoterol) and Track 2 (ICS-SABA/SABA) treatment approaches

•      Apply step-up and step-down criteria, interpret clinical considerations where symptoms do not equal risk, and understand the rationale for Track 1 preference

•      Develop a comprehensive asthma action plan (AAP) including maintenance therapy, exacerbation recognition, peak flow monitoring, and when to seek emergency care

•      Apply nonpharmacological management for asthma: smoking cessation, physical activity, Mediterranean diet, weight reduction, and breathing exercise techniques including Buteyko and Papworth methods

•      Review functional medicine supplement evidence for asthma: vitamin D, black seed, maritime pine, fish oil, and boswellia serrata

COPD

•      Describe COPD pathobiology — including persistent inflammation, structural tissue remodeling, and microbial disruption — and the resulting pathophysiology across airflow obstruction, hyperinflation, gas exchange, pulmonary hypertension, and systemic effects

•      Identify COPD risk factors including tobacco, toxic exposures, air pollution, tuberculosis, genetic factors (SERPINA1/alpha-1 antitrypsin), and gene-environment interactions

•      Apply spirometry-based GOLD classification (GOLD 1–4) and the GOLD ABE assessment tool to stratify patients by airflow limitation severity, symptom burden, and exacerbation risk

•      Select initial and follow-up pharmacotherapy based on GOLD 2026 guidelines — including bronchodilator monotherapy, LABA+LAMA, and ICS-containing triple therapy for high eosinophil counts

•      Manage outpatient COPD exacerbations using bronchodilator intensification, systemic corticosteroids, and antibiotic selection

•      Apply intensification strategies including roflumilast, azithromycin, biologic therapy, and ensifentrine for persistent symptoms or exacerbations despite optimized therapy

•      Apply COPD nonpharmacological management: smoking cessation, pulmonary rehabilitation (GOLD Group B and E), oxygen therapy criteria, and nutritional support

•      Review functional medicine supplement evidence for COPD: vitamin D, black seed, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), Pelargonium sidoides, qi gong, and tai chi

Inhaler Education

•      Describe the mechanism, appropriate use, and clinical considerations for pMDI, DPI, and SMI inhaler devices

•      Demonstrate step-by-step technique for each device type and identify the most common critical errors for each

•      Select the appropriate inhaler device for individual patients considering age, coordination, inspiratory capacity, and physical barriers

•      Teach inhaler technique using teach-to-goal and teach-back methods, and conduct technique assessments at every clinical encounter

Social Determinants of Health

•      Explain how socioeconomic status, housing and environment, neighborhood, healthcare access, race/ethnicity, psychosocial stress, and diet drive asthma and COPD disparities

•      Apply social risk factor screening and targeted interventions — including culturally competent communication, health literacy adaptation, and community health worker referral — to patients with asthma and COPD

Curriculum

Five content modules — aligned to GINA 2025 and GOLD 2026 — covering pharmacology, asthma, COPD, inhaler education, and health equity.


Module 1 — Inhaled Medications

•      Short-Acting Beta Agonists (SABA): Albuterol, levalbuterol — mechanism, side effects, rescue use

•      Long-Acting Beta Agonists (LABA): Formoterol, salmeterol, vilanterol, olodaterol — combination rules by indication

•      Inhaled Corticosteroids (ICS): Budesonide, fluticasone, beclomethasone, mometasone — cornerstone therapy, side effects, mouth rinsing

•      Short-Acting Muscarinic Antagonists (SAMA): Ipratropium — COPD symptom relief, combination with SABA

•      Long-Acting Muscarinic Antagonists (LAMA): Tiotropium, umeclidinium, glycopyrrolate, aclidinium — primarily for COPD

•      Common Combination Products: Advair, Anoro, Breo, Breztri, Combivent, Symbicort, Stiolto, Trelegy — classes and indications


Module 2 — Asthma

•      What Is Asthma? Pathophysiology, phenotypes, modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors, triggers

•      Epidemiology: U.S. distribution (~25 million), age and sex differences, racial disparities, societal cost (~$82 billion/year)

•      Diagnosis: Children ≤5 years, 6–11 years, adolescents, and adults — symptom criteria, spirometry thresholds, biomarkers (FeNO, blood eosinophils)

•      Assessment: Symptom control, exacerbation risk, treatment issues (adherence, inhaler technique), comorbidities, severity classification

•      Pharmacotherapy: GINA stepped-care algorithm — Track 1 (ICS-formoterol) and Track 2; ICS dosing tables by age group; step-up and step-down criteria; asthma action plan

•      Nonpharmacological Management: Smoking cessation, physical activity, Mediterranean diet, weight reduction, breathing exercises (Buteyko, Papworth, yoga)

•      Functional Medicine: Vitamin D supplementation, black seed, maritime pine, fish oil, boswellia serrata — evidence review


Module 3 — Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

•      What Is COPD? Pathobiology: persistent inflammation, structural tissue remodeling, microbial disruption

•      Pathophysiology: Airflow obstruction, hyperinflation, gas exchange abnormalities, pulmonary hypertension, systemic effects

•      Epidemiology: ~15 million Americans, 6th leading cause of U.S. death, racial and regional distribution, societal cost ($24 billion annually)

•      Risk Factors and COPD Taxonomy: Tobacco, occupational exposures, air pollution, tuberculosis, genetic factors (alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency)

•      Diagnosis: Spirometry criteria — pre- and post-bronchodilator FEV₁/FVC, GOLD classification (GOLD 1–4)

•      Assessment: GOLD ABE tool (Groups A, B, E), mMRC dyspnea scale, CAAT questionnaire, blood eosinophil count, exacerbation risk, multimorbidity

•      Pharmacotherapy: Initial treatment by GOLD group, follow-up treatment by symptoms, intensification — roflumilast, azithromycin, biologics, ensifentrine

•      Exacerbation Management: Mild, moderate, and severe classification; outpatient bronchodilator intensification, oral corticosteroids, antibiotics

•      Nonpharmacological Management: Smoking cessation, pulmonary rehabilitation (Group B and E), oxygen therapy criteria, nutritional support

•      Functional Medicine: Vitamin D, black seed, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), Pelargonium sidoides, qi gong, tai chi — evidence review


Module 4 — Inhaler Education

•      Pressurized Metered-Dose Inhalers (pMDI): Mechanism, step-by-step technique, common errors (failure to exhale, not shaking, insufficient inhalation depth)

•      pMDI with Spacer: Improved lung deposition, reduced oropharyngeal deposition, appropriate use for children and older adults

•      Dry-Powder Inhalers (DPI): Breath-activated mechanism, device-specific instructions, common errors (inadequate inspiratory force, exhaling into mouthpiece)

•      Soft Mist Inhalers (SMI): Slow aerosol cloud, coordination requirements, technique instructions, common errors

•      Teaching Inhaler Technique: Demonstration, teach-to-goal, teach-back, video and printable tools, technique assessment at every encounter


Module 5 — Social Determinants of Health

•      Socioeconomic Status: Link between poverty, insurance, employment, and asthma/COPD prevalence, exacerbations, and outcomes

•      Housing and Environment: Role of housing code violations (mold, pests), biomass smoke, and coal heating in disease burden

•      Neighborhood and Built Environment: Urban exposure to indoor and outdoor hazards, community-level mortality disparities

•      Healthcare Access: Insurance gaps, primary care shortages, rural access to spirometry and pulmonary rehabilitation

•      Race/Ethnicity and Structural Racism: Racial segregation, disparities in COPD functional status and exacerbations

•      Psychosocial Stress: Adverse childhood experiences, community violence, mental stress, and their impact on asthma and COPD control

•      Clinical Application: Social risk factor screening, culturally competent communication, health literacy, and community health worker models

Course Expires: 4/30/2029

Why Providers Choose This Course

Guideline-current, clinically actionable, and built by an educator who manages these patients in practice.


Asthma and COPD review resources are plentiful — but few deliver what clinicians actually need: a complete, guideline-aligned update with the clinical nuance, practical tools, and holistic framework to manage complex patients in real ambulatory care settings. This course does.


•      Guideline-current: Aligned to GINA 2025 and GOLD 2026 — the most recent global clinical standards for asthma and COPD management

•      Clinically actionable: Case-based 'Check Your Understanding' questions throughout the course apply content directly to diagnostic and treatment decisions

•      Practically complete: Covers pharmacotherapy, nonpharmacological care, functional medicine, inhaler education, and social determinants — all in one course

•      Inhaler education focused: Detailed, step-by-step instruction for all three major inhaler device types with common errors and teaching tools — content that is frequently missing from clinical reviews

•      Health equity integrated: The social determinants of health module provides specific clinical strategies for addressing the systemic factors that drive asthma and COPD disparities — an area most review courses skip entirely

•      Expertly developed: Created by a PharmD with a master's degree in medical education and more than a decade of independent prescribing experience in ambulatory respiratory care

Frequently Asked Questions


Who is this course designed for?

This course is designed for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals who manage patients with asthma and/or COPD. It is appropriate for clinicians seeking a comprehensive review, a guideline update, or CE credit in respiratory disease management.


Which guidelines does this course follow?

The course is aligned to GINA 2025 (Global Initiative for Asthma) for asthma management and GOLD 2026 (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) for COPD — the most current international clinical guidelines for both conditions as of the course's publication date.


Does the course cover both asthma and COPD?

Yes. The course provides comprehensive, guideline-aligned coverage of both conditions, including separate diagnostic, assessment, and treatment content for each. It also covers shared content areas including inhaled medication classes, inhaler device technique, nonpharmacological care, and social determinants of health — as they apply to both conditions.


Is inhaler technique actually taught in this course?

Yes — in practical detail. The inhaler education module covers step-by-step technique for pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDI), pMDIs with spacers, dry-powder inhalers (DPI), and soft mist inhalers (SMI). It covers the most common critical errors for each device type and provides teach-back methods for clinical use — content designed to help you teach correct technique to your patients.


What functional medicine content is included?

Both the asthma and COPD modules include dedicated functional medicine sections reviewing the evidence for common supplements and integrative approaches. For asthma, this includes vitamin D, black seed, maritime pine, fish oil, boswellia serrata, and breathing techniques including Buteyko, Papworth, and yoga. For COPD, this includes vitamin D, black seed, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), Pelargonium sidoides, qi gong, and tai chi.


How do I access the course?

After enrollment, you will receive immediate access to all course content through your Elite NP student portal. The course is fully self-paced and available with lifetime access.