Abstract TP449: 3-month Medication Persistence and Medication Adherence in Korean Ischemic Stroke Survivors

Abstract

Purposes: This study aimed to investigate persistence and adherence of medication at 3 months after acute stroke, and to identify the predictors of poor medication adherence in Korean ischemic stroke survivors. Methods: As a part of a prospective, longitudinal observation study, data collected from September 1 st , 2017 to June 30, 2018 at three stroke center in Korea were analyzed for the 3-month outcome measure. Medication persistence and medication adherence with Morisky medication adherence scale-8 items (MMAS-8) were assessed at 3 months after hospitalization due to acute ischemic stroke including transient ischemic attack (TIA). For identifying the predictors of poor medication adherence, various and potential factors suggested by WHO as related factors of medication adherence were investigated during admission by face-to face interview. Results: Of a total of six hundred patients, male was 390 (65.0%), and mean(±SD) age was 65.6(±12.9) years. Of 544 survivors followed up at 3-month, 531(97.6%) was persistent with their medication, but only 479(88.1%) were good at medication adherence. Old age(p=.001), job(p=.007), TIA than ischemia(p=.034), NIHSS (p=.035) and mRS(p=.003) scores at discharge, low medication belief(p=.001) and literacy(p.030), high drug cost(p=.041), and low income(p=.009) were related with poor 3-month medication adherence by univariate analysis. However, only mRS at diacharge [OR(95% CI)=0.586(0.349-0.985), p=.043] and medication belief [OR(95% CI)=0.941(0.893-0.991), p=.022] were independent predictors. Conclusions: In Korean stroke survivors, 3-month medication adherence was relatively poor. For improving this, a variety of strategies are needed to improve the beliefs about the drug, considering individual stroke sequelae and literacy levels.