**6. Conclusion**

Suboptimal adherence to medication regimens and to other non-drug therapies are both major problems in the management of COPD. Poor adherence poses a significant health and economic burden in patients with COPD. Non-adherence seems to be influenced by many individual reasons, such as factors associated with the characteristics of the disease, the patient, the therapy and the physician-patient relationship. Among other things, simplified treatment regimens, adequate patient education methods and better communication between caregivers and patients have been found to be critical for overcoming the barriers of poor adherence. However, further research is needed to identify factors related to patient cooperation to develop more effective strategies that can improve adherence.
