Aims Strong evidence indicates that drugs reduce blood lipids and improve cardiovascular end‐points, leading to their wide usage. However, the success of these drugs can be affected by poor patient's adherence to prescribed medication. This study aimed to evaluate medication adherence in patients with dyslipidaemia in association with patient beliefs about medicines. Methods The study was conducted from January 2019 to July 2019 at the middle governmental primary healthcare clinics in Ramallah and Bethlehem cities, and used a cross‐sectional design. Adherence was determined using the 4‐item Morisky medication adherence scale, while beliefs were determined using the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire. Results Of 220 patients, 185 agreed to participate in the study, resulting in a response rate of 84.1%. Of the participants, 106 (57.3%) were men, and almost half (88, 46.5%) were ≥56 years. Medication non‐adherence was high (47.6%), but a majority (65.5%) reported believing their treatment to be necessary for their continued good health. Accordingly, the mean necessity score (17.3, SD 3.7) significantly outweighed (P < .001) the mean concerns score (14.0, SD 3.5). Multivariate regression demonstrated four variables to be significantly correlated with non‐adherence: illiterate (OR = 2.52; CI: 0.9‐4.3; P = .03), polypharmacy (OR = 3.18; CI: 1.9‐5.7; P = .007), having comorbidity (OR = 3.10; CI: 2.2‐4.6; P = .005) and having concerns about side effects (OR = 2.89; CI: 1.1‐4.6, P = .04). Conclusion Non‐adherence among patients taking lipid‐lowering agents was high despite most holding positive beliefs regarding medication necessity. This may be due to concern also being high. Physicians should identify and target high‐risk patients and individualise their treatment plans in order to achieve adequate control of dyslipidaemia.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.