Adherence to chronic medication in older populations: application of a common protocol among three European cohorts

Menditto, E. ; Cahir, C. ; Aza-Pascual-Salcedo, M. ; Bruzzese, D. ; Poblador-Plou, B. ; Malo, S. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Costa, E. ; Gonzalez-Rubio, F. ; Gimeno-Miguel, A. ; Orlando, V. ; Kardas, P. ; Prados-Torres, A.

Resumen: Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare medication adherence to chronic therapies in older populations across different regions in Europe.
Methods:
This explorative study applied a harmonized method of data extraction and analysis from pharmacy claims databases of three European countries to compare medication adherence at a cross-country level. Data were obtained for the period between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2011. Patients (aged >= 65 years) who newly initiated to oral antidiabetics, antihyperlipidemics, or antiosteoporotics were identified and followed for over a 12-month period. Main outcome measures were medication adherence (medication possession ratio, [MPR]; implementation) and persistence on index treatment. All country-specific data sets were prepared by employing a common data input model. Outcome measures were calculated for each country and pooled using random effect models.
Results:
In total, 39, 186 new users were analyzed. In pooled data from the three countries, suboptimal implementation (MPR <80%) was 52.45% (95% CI: 33.43-70.79) for antihyperlipidemics, 61.35% (95% CI: 52.83-69.22) for antiosteoporotics, and 30.33% (95% CI: 25.53-35.60) for oral antidiabetics. Similarly, rates of non-persistence (discontinuation) were 55.63% (95% CI: 35.24-74.29) for antihyperlipidemics, 60.24% (95% CI: 45.35-73.46) for antiosteoporotics, and 46.80% (95% CI: 36.40-57.4) for oral antidiabetics.
Conclusion:
Medication adherence was suboptimal with >50% of older people non-adherent to antihyperlipidemics and antiosteoporotics in the three European cohorts. However, the degree of variability in adherence rates among the three countries was high. A harmonized method of data extraction and analysis across health-related database in Europe is useful to compare medication-taking behavior at a cross-country level.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.2147/PPA.S164819

Año: 2018

Publicado en: PATIENT PREFERENCE AND ADHERENCE 12 (2018), 1975-1987
ISSN: 1177-889X

Factor impacto JCR: 2.097 (2018)

Categ. JCR: MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL rank: 59 / 159 = 0.371 (2018) - Q2 - T2

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.757 - Health Policy (Q1) - Social Sciences (miscellaneous) (Q1) - Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (miscellaneous) (Q1) - Medicine (miscellaneous) (Q1)

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Medic.Prevent.Salud Públ. (Dpto. Microb.Med.Pr.,Sal.Públ.)