Adherence to pulmonary arterial hypertension targeted therapies

Abstract

Little is known about the level of adherence to pulmonary hypertension (PH) specialist medicines and the factors that may determine it. Aim: The aim of this research was to investigate the adherence of patients on PH targeted therapies. Secondary aims were to compare two different measures of adherence and the other factors that might influence the calculated adherence rates. Methods: Patients treated by a designated PH centre and taking at least one targeted therapy (sildenafil, tadalafil, bosentan, ambrisentan, iloprost, epoprostenol, treprostinil) completed a Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 (MMAS-8) questionnaire – either in hospital or at home via postal mail. Participants were also invited to fill in self-reported pill count questions 3 months apart that were incorporated into a homecare pharmacy satisfaction survey. The answers were used to calculate each participant9s medicine consumption across this period. Demographic and other potential adherence co-factors were collected from patient databases and hospital discharge summaries. Results: 262 PH patients (mean age 61.3±14.9 years, 69.8% females, WHO II 14.9%, III 75.3%, IV 9.2%, monotherapy 56.9%) completed the MMAS-8 questionnaire. 111 of these participants also completed the pill count questions. Data from MMAS-8 showed that 47.7% reported high adherence, 40.5% moderate adherence and 11.8% low adherence. Conclusion: Overall adherence to PH targeted therapies seems to be slightly higher than published adherence rates to medicines for other disease groups but over half of the PH patients report suboptimal adherence behaviour. Further work to develop interventions relevant to this patient group in order to improve adherence is warranted.

Part of CIRS Nexus · Curated by Lauren Lowenstein, The Biotoxin Lady