A REPORT ON MEDICATION ADHERENCE AMONG OUTPATIENTS

KASAHARA Satoko, OHNO Yuko, SUGO Ayako

doi:10.11236/jph.49.12_1259

Background Increase in chronic disease and hospital stays of minimal length have caused a rise in the number of outpatients receiving long-term medication. The authors conducted the present study to examine their adherence to medication.<br/>Methods Self-administered questionnares covering 20 items related to adherence were collected from outpatients who received medication from O university hospital on a day in October 1998. The authors examined the relationship between adherence to medication and lifestyle and then analyzed predictors of adherence using discriminant analysis.<br/>Results The rare of adherence to medication for 943 outpatients in O university hospital was 87.9%. The major reasons for non•adherence were “forgetting medication”, “leaving home without [one's] medication,” “suspecting side effects” and “having no sympoms”. The patients who made a detailed explanation displayed better understanding and adherence to medication.<br/> Although 94.8% of the patients received an explanation about their medications at least once, 76.9% expressed some anxiety about their use. Predictors of poor adherence to medication were “no support to remind the patient to take medicines correctly,” “anxiety about medication,” “not receiving a detailed explanation about medications,” “poor knowledge of medication,” and “youth (20-29 years of age).”<br/>Conclusion Among outpatients in O university hospital, the medication adherence rate is 87.9%, but most patients had anxieties. The results clarified the need to consider lifestyle in medication management in the outpatient setting, since this was the main predictor of adherence to medication.

A REPORT ON MEDICATION ADHERENCE AMONG OUTPATIENTS

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