Summary: The definition of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has remained unchanged for several years. Just like in asthma, recently we can talk about different phenotypes in COPD – clinical features as well as the profile of exacerbations that have an impact on the progress of a patient’s disease. Hence, it is necessary to approach each patient individually with treatment suitable for their needs. The search for the most effective treatment is based not only on the assessment of the severity of the disease, but also on the patient’s feelings about treatment. The most effective management is personalized therapy. It involves cooperation between doctor and patient in the selection of drugs that control the course of the disease and improve the quality of life.