Approximately 340 subjects aged 12 years and over who have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and are on medication for their condition will be recruited for the study. Subjects will be recruited to ensure that different severities of disease are included in the study.
Severity of disease will be determined by predicted FEV1. During the study subjects will be trained to use both the pMDI device and the BAI device being compared. Following training the subjects' use of each device will be assessed by a trainer/assessor using assessment criteria which cover handling, actuation and inhalation aspects for each of the devices under test. The order in which subjects receive each device will be determined using a randomisation schedule.
During the study subjects will continue to take their prescribed asthma or COPD medication. The pMDI and BAI devices used for the patient handling assessment will only contain placebo.
The duration of the study for a subject will be up to 58 days. Training and use of each device will be separated by 7 to 21 days
