Abstract

A. Bharath Kumar*, S. S. Somanathan, D. Monisha, N. Poojitha, T. Bhavyasree and S. K. Sridhar

ABSTRACT

Background: Medication Adherence in Diabetic patients is the biggest challenge that wide spread globally. Though out 70 million persons with diabetes worldwide, nearly 12 million people affected by diabetes mellitus in India. Aim and Objective: This study mainly sought to assess level of adherence in diabetic patients and also to identify factors contributing as barriers to anti diabetic medications adherence among adults subjects. Methodology: A cross-sectional study of 150 in-patients and fulfilled the inclusion criteria were recruited from general medicine and general surgery in a tertiary care centre. The data was collected by using a structured interview regard patient demographics, and questionnaires containing morisky medication adherence scale-8 (MMAS-8), beliefs about medicines questionnaire (BMQ) and were used to assess adherence as well as factors affecting it. Results: In our study 71% of adult subjects showed poor adherence, where the factors that contributed to low adherence were negative beliefs towards medicines, lack of knowledge, long term therapy and forgetfulness. In Geriatric 50% subjects were good- high adherence and barriers observed were dislike of taste, difficulty of swallowing medications. Conclusion: The study concluded that subjects and care givers individual beliefs, specific concerns, lack of knowledge regard disease and medications, duration of therapy, forgetfulness and barriers are prominently affecting medication adherence. In order to overcome this problem and to increase adherence rate, implementing interventions that raise to create awareness among subjects regarding knowledge about diabetes and it’s complications and regular monitoring of glucose levels is needed.