OBJECTIVES: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are widely used in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).  Prior research suggests that COPD patients’ access to ICS may vary by ethnicity. The objectives of the study were to determine if there is a difference in the proportion of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White patients taking ICS for COPD and to determine the independent predictors of taking an ICS prescription in COPD patients.   METHODS: The US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) 2007 dataset was utilized to compare ICS prescription patterns among patients with COPD. The sample size was restricted to Hispanic and non-Hispanic White patients with ICD-9CM codes for COPD between January 1 and December 31, 2007. Proportion of patients receiving ICS prescriptions within the defined timeframe was compared by ethnicity in chi-square analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine significant predictors of receiving an ICS prescription.  RESULTS: Among 1057 COPD patients included in the analysis, 16% were Hispanics, 58.5% females, and the mean age of the study population was 45.8±24.5. ICS were prescribed for 5.2% of Hispanic and 17.2% of non-Hispanic White patients (p=0.02). Non-Hispanic White patients with COPD had 9.37 (95% CI: 1.39; 73.28) higher odds of receiving ICS prescription than Hispanic patients independent of age, marital status, education, smoking status, and health insurance. Among other risk factors, only smoking was predictive of receiving a prescription for ICS (OR=1.80; 95% CI: 1.03; 3.11), independent of other factors.   CONCLUSIONS: Hispanic COPD patients had substantially lower odds of receiving an ICS prescription. This disparity in ICS prescription patterns may translate into suboptimal COPD management, a higher rate of exacerbations, and higher healthcare costs in this growing minority population.  The differences and potential disparities in ICS use between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White COPD patients warrant further investigation.