MEDICATION ADHERENCE AND RELATED FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Duy Khanh Dang1,, Nguyen Tu Quyen Le2, Thi Mong Tuyen Tran2, Thanh Soul Pham2
1 Can Tho Univercity of Medicine and Pharmacy
2 Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy

Main Article Content

Abstract

Background: Medication adherence is an important factor in improving treatment effectiveness and reducing costs for patients. However, medication adherence in patients with chronic diseases during the Covid-19 pandemic faces some difficulties. Objectives: 1.) To determine the ratio of medication adherence in patients with chronic diseases; 2). To verify factors related to medication adherence in patients with chronic diseases. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 1852 outpatients at medical centers in the southern provinces of Vietnam from March 2020 to May 2021, assessing medication adherence by the GMAS questionnaire. Results: The ratio of adherence was 57.6%, the low and poor adherence were mainly related to patient behaviors with the ratios of 7.6% and 2.4%, respectively. There was a correlation between medication adherence and factors such as accommodation, job, academic level, and influences of Covid-19 on reexamination and treatment (p < 0.05 in multiple regression analysis). Conclusions: Medication adherence among patients with chronic diseases was relatively low in the southern provinces of Vietnam during the Covid-19 pandemic. Future studies need to develop interventions to improve medication adherence rates in the context of prolonged Covid-19 pandemic.

Article Details

References

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