Pharmacy

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Browsing Pharmacy by Author "AL-Barbarawi, Wafaa"

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    The Association Between Adherence and Beliefs about Medications among Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease: A Cross Sectional Study from Palestine
    (Wafaa AL-Barbarawi, 2018-07-03) AL-Barbarawi, Wafaa
    Background: optimal medication adherence in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) is very important to prevent cardiac events and decrease the rate of mortality. Patients' beliefs about medicines are one of the most important factors that may affect adherence. Objectives: to measure adherence to medications among Palestinian ischemic heart disease patients, and to find the effect of some patient factors and medication beliefs on their medication adherence. Methods: the study was a cross-sectional study among patients in governmental outpatient clinics, information was obtained from patients by a face to face interview and from medical files. The Morisky Medication Adherence Scale- 8 questions (MMAS-8) and Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) were used to measure medication adherence and patients' beliefs about medicines respectively. Results: a total of 400 patients were included in the study, mean age ± standard deviation was 62.35± 9.30 years. Most patients 348(87.0%) had comorbid conditions. The majority 304 (76.0%) of patients were using at least 5 medicines. According to MMAS-8 score, 195 (48.8%) of participants were non adherent to their medicines (adherence score ˂ 6) and 205 (51.3%) were adherent (adherence score ≥ 6). Multivariable analysis showed that patients who had others disease (comorbid conditions) had higher odds (O.R=2.316(95%CI (1.192-4.499)) of being non-adherent. patients who had higher concerns about medicines had higher odds (O.R=1.124(95%CI (1.063-1.188)) of being non-adherent, also patients who had positive harmful beliefs of medications had higher odds (O.R=1.092(95%CI (1.018-1.171)) of being non-adherent. On the other hand, Patients who had positive beliefs of medication necessity had lower odds (O.R=0.902(95%CI (0.847-0.960)) of being non-adherent. Conclusions: Poor adherence was very common among Palestinian IHD patients. Stronger positive beliefs about necessity of treatment was associated with lower non-adherence while high concerns of long term use of medicines or harmful effects of medications were associated with higher non-adherence, which emphasizes the importance of patients' beliefs about medicines in medication adherence.