FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE TREATMENT ADHERENCE – REALITIES, CONTROVERSIES, PERSPECTIVES
RĂZVAN-NICOLAE RUSU 1, DANIELA CARMEN ABABEI 1*, IOANA MACADAN 1, ANDREI
CIOBÎCĂ 2, MIHAELA PARASCHIV 1, WALTHER BILD 2,3, ALINA MORARU 1, CAMELIA NICOLAE 4, VERONICA BILD 1,3
1Pharmacodynamics and Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași, Romania
2Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași, Romania
3Center of Biomedical Research, Romanian Academy, Iași Branch, Romania
4“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Prof. Dr. Th. Burghelia” Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
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The extent to which a person’s behavior is in agreement with his healthcare professional’s recommendations - also known as adherence - is a pre-requisite for therapeutic success. Patient questionnaires and scales are a popular form of adherence measurement in practice due to their low cost, simplicity, and real-time feedback. The current study was performed in a community pharmacy and aims to identify disorders associated with low levels of adherence as well as influencing factors. It included patients who accepted to participate and answered a 15-point questionnaire. The majority of respondents were female
(65.57%), 51 - 60 years old (21.3%). Respondents’ education and studies range from primary school to higher education. Most of them were retired geriatric patients (22%), followed by public servants (18%), as well as other categories such as housewives (12%). The most prevalent pathology was cardiovascular disease, followed by inflammatory, digestive, and thyroid disorders. 57% of respondents stated that they were advised by a physician concerning the severity of their disorders, while 18% said they were informed by both the pharmacist and the physician. 50% of respondents had a smartphone. The complex nature of adherence requires a multidimensional approach for it to be improved. Patients must be informed regarding their treatment and pathology while also having a trust-based relationship with their healthcare professional.
