Research Paper
Year: 2021 | Month: February | Volume: 8 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 37-41
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20210207
A Community Based Study to Identify the Reasons for Non-Adherence in Hypertensive Patients
Satish S1, Manju Jose2, A R Shabaraya3
1Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, 2Student, PharmD, Department of Pharmacy Practice, 3Professor & Head, Department of Pharmacy Practice,
Srinivas College of Pharmacy, Mangalore, Karnataka-574143
Corresponding Author: Manju Jose
ABSTRACT
WHO describes adherence as ''the extent to which a person's behaviour taking medication, following a diet, and / or executing lifestyle changes-corresponds with agreed recommendations from a health care provider. Poor adherence to prescribed regimens can cause serious health complications.
Objective: To identify the reasons for non-adherence in hypertensive patients using validated questionnaire from literature.
Methodology: A prospective cross sectional study was carried out in Mangalore in Karnataka from September 2019 to March 2020. Hypertensive patients were selected and interviewed with validated questionnaire from literature to assess their medication adherence and reasons for non-adherence. Data were analysed using Microsoft Excel.
Results: 150 subjects participated in the study among which 45.3% were males and 54.6% were females. The most common reasons for non-adherence were forgetfulness (62.6%), travels (36.6%), drugs out of supply (26.6%) and relief from symptoms (18%).
Conclusion: The affordability of medicines is also one of the main factors for medication non-adherence. According to our study, only a negligible population of subjects has affirmed medication expenses as the reason for non-adherence. Gender difference had no much significant in medication adherence also social habits since study population does not include much alcoholics or smokers and hence the correlation cannot be analysed. The factors driving patients’ adherence to medications are multifactorial. Common barriers to adherence are under the patient's control, so that attention to them is a necessary and important step in improving adherence.
Keywords: Medication adherence, Hypertension.
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