Assessment of medication-related burden among a sample of Iraqi patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and its relationship with disease activity: a cross-sectional study

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Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with high morbidity and disability. The routines involved in taking medications, side effects, the nature of medicines, difficulties with the healthcare system, and disruptions to social activities all contribute to patients frequently experiencing medication-related burdens (MRB). The current study aimed to assess the perceived MRB among a sample of SLE patients from Iraq and to look for any possible relationship between MRB and disease activity. Methods: The current study was cross-sectional on diagnosed SLE patients who arrived at Baghdad Teaching Hospital/Medical City/Rheumatology department from September 2021 to January 2022. MRB was measured using the Living with Medicines Questionnaire (LMQ). Results: The study recruited 156 SLE patients. The patients were 35.8 ±11.7 years old on average. Great majority of them were women (96.8 %). The average LMQ score was 117.30± 18.37. The results showed that most patients (69.87%) experienced a moderate level of burden, followed by a low level (19.87%), high level (7.69%), and no burden at all (2.56%). No patients experienced an extremely high level of burden (0.0%). The mean burden scores for two LMQ domains—relationships with health care professionals (HCPs) and effectiveness of prescription medications—were the lowest (below average). Conclusions: Many of the SLE patients in this study reported experiencing MRB. Healthcare professionals should implement strategies to reduce this burden, particularly for low-income patients.