The IMPACT trial tested whether once-daily single-inhaler triple therapy could improve outcomes compared with two commonly used dual therapies in symptomatic patients with COPD and a history of exacerbations. More than 10,000 participants were randomized to fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol, fluticasone furoate/vilanterol, or umeclidinium/vilanterol. Triple therapy reduced the rate of moderate or severe COPD exacerbations compared with both dual regimens. The study therefore strengthened the case for inhaled triple therapy in appropriately selected patients who remain at high exacerbation risk despite maintenance treatment. At the same time, pneumonia was more frequent in the inhaled-corticosteroid-containing groups, reinforcing the need for individual risk–benefit assessment rather than automatic escalation. For practicing clinicians, the key lesson is to match inhaler intensity to phenotype and treatment history. A patient with frequent exacerbations may benefit from triple therapy, while another patient with predominantly dyspnoea and low exacerbation risk may gain more from optimized bronchodilation without added ICS exposure. The findings align closely with the conference emphasis on GOLD strategy, COPD phenotyping, and making treatment decisions using more than lung function alone.