Evaluation of medication adherence among patients with chronic diseases in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Poor medication adherence is a global problem that compromises the benefit of a given treatment. 1 It also increases the rate of mortality, morbidity and healthcare costs. 2 In the United States, direct medical cost of chronic diseases reached a trillion dollar, while nonadherence costs over $170 billion annually. 2,3 Furthermore, in transplant recipients, the non-adherence to immunosuppressants results in 1319 cases of renal transplant failure annually. 4 The achievement of the total benefit from medication is determined by patient adherence to their treatment regimens. 5 Adherence is defined as the "extent to which a patient acts in accordance with the prescribed interval and dose and dosing regimen". 6 Half of the prescribed medications for chronic diseases are not taken as prescribed by their healthcare providers. 2 Hypertension is one of the chronic medical conditions that affects a great percentage of people all over the globe. In 2000, the estimated number of adults with hypertension was 972 million and

Medication Adherence among Patients with Chronic Diseases in Saudi Arabia

“…The questionnaire was adapted from a previous study by Prabahar K et al [ 14 ]. Experts provided their feedback and opinions for improving the questionnaire, and their suggestions were incorporated into the final questionnaire, which contained 15 questions and was designed using online cloud-based questionnaire development software (Google Forms).…”

“…The sample size was calculated using Slovin’s formula, with a population size of 385 patients with chronic diseases in Saudi Arabia from a recently published study by Kurdi S et al 2021, with a confidence interval (CI) of 95% and a margin of error of 5% [ 14 ]. Social media channels were used to distribute the questionnaire.…”

“…The physician “signs” the prescription electronically and the staff then sends it directly to the patient’s preferred pharmacy [ 13 ]. Studies have shown that medication adherence is considerably low among chronic disease patients in Saudi Arabia [ 13 , 14 ]. To improve adherence, prevent negative outcomes and reduce the burden on secondary care centres, an assessment of medication adherence and the factors that affect it within primary care is required [ 8 ].…”

Patient Satisfaction and Comprehension of Physician and Pharmacist Prescription in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Elderly patients are more prone to have chronic conditions and use many medications, increasing medication complications. The majority of patients had more than one chronic disease, according to a recent cross-sectional study conducted in Saudi Arabia, and the pharmaceutical dose type and dosing schedule were independent predictors of medical adherence [ 22 ].…”

“…Prescription of complex medication regimens is widespread in healthcare centers [16][17][18]. Thus, simplifying medication regimens and educating them in sufficient time and efficient communication help in increasing the satisfaction, perception, and continuity of medication and adherence [19][20][21][22]. A study conducted in Riyadh interviewed 511 adult participants and aimed to assess the understanding of prescription label instructions for five commonly prescribed medications and concluded that misunderstanding was common among these participants [11].…”