Medication Adherence: A Review and Lessons for Developing Countries

Adebayo Omotosho,Peace Ayegba

doi:10.3991/ijoe.v15i11.10647

Abstract

Most of the time, complete adherence to prescribed medication is a big step towards recovery from either chronic or acute diseases, but patients often are unaware of the adverse effects that could arise from inconsistency in adherence. The inability of patients to adhere to prescription can affect the potency of some effective therapies known to treat many conditions, and passive compliance may result in the development of resistant to drug causing a need for treatment modification. Shockingly, more than half of the drugs prescribed for patients with chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension were found not to be taken as recommended. Adherence is so important because it can assist clinicians in successful supervision of evidence-based treatment of patients; therefore this paper presents an overview of medication adherence, non-technology and technology-based approaches, and lessons for developing countries.

Highlights

Introduction & BackgroundMedication adherence is an important step in the treatment of diseases, and patients’ inconsistencies to the regimen could result in a poor state of health, unnecessary increased cost of care, and long recovery time
It goes without saying that technology has a promising potential at improving medication adherence but some of the limiting factors contributing to non-adherence can be a cog in the wheel, and some of those challenges found in our review are shown in Table 3, with the frequency of their appearance and some possible solutions
Since identifying reasons for non-adherence can significantly increase adherence, and aid in providing adequate solutions [20]; forgetfulness and cost are still chief among the global leading factors. Diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, asthma, and diabetes were the top ranking diseases largely referenced in many of the work we reviewed and are likewise prevalent in developing countries like Africa

Summary

Introduction & Background

Medication adherence is an important step in the treatment of diseases, and patients’ inconsistencies to the regimen could result in a poor state of health, unnecessary increased cost of care, and long recovery time. Patients might decide against collecting their prescribed medications from the dispensing system, resort to overdose, and indulge in irregular intake frequency These kinds of primary noncompliance which slow down recovery, though can be reduced to some extent by the use of technology in prescription, are very common in rural areas of developing countries [4]. [11] investigated the projected roles of eHealth systems in supporting and improving the general health of patients and the effectiveness of adherence as medication intervention They concluded in order for low- and middle-income countries to benefit from the future eHealth solutions, there is a need for a context-based and adaptable transdisciplinary research approach that considers the multifaceted factors that can contribute to effective investment in eHealth at the macro, micro, and meso levels. This paper performs a summary review of medication adherence, non-technology and technology-based approaches, and a lesson for developing countries

Literature Review

Methodology and Implications

17 Impaired cognition

Conclusion

Findings

Authors