Abstract:
Purpose: To determine the magnitude and causes of failure to adhere to medication regimens in patients with cardiovascular (CVS) diseases.
Subjects and Methods: One hundred and sixteen patients with CVS diseases were included in the study. The study was conducted at out-patient department of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Medical College and Vajira Hospital. The investigative questionnaires were developed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results.
Results: in this study, there were on the average of 2 concomitant illnesses and usage of 7 items of medications. The median time of medication usage was 4 years. With having adequate health insurance coverage and transportation to the hospital, low income and long waiting time for hospital services were not obstacles to attend the clinic. There included various errors in medications usages: under-usage (63.8%), wrong timing (47.4%), lack of appointment-keeping (19.8%), overuse of medication (2.6%) and wrong dosage (2.6%). The main causes of these non-adherences were incoherence between medication timing and routine life activities (76.6%) ,side effect (29.3%, forgetfulness (23.3%), lack of knowledge (11.2%), patient themselves (10.4%), left-over medication at home (10.3%) and care giver (6.9%)
Conclusions: Under-usage of medication and wrong timing were the major types of medication nonadherent in cardiovascular patients. The major causes of nonadherent were incoherence between medication timing and routine life activities.
Implications: The pharmacist should counsel each patient’s medication regimen according to their daily activities. Proper drug information and side-effects when regimens are deviated must be provided.