Medication compliance in outpatients with schizophrenia in one veterans hospital in Taiwan

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Medication compliance is an important determinant in schizophrenia treatment outcomes. This study aimed to investigate medication compliance in cases of patients receiving a single antipsychotic medication among adult outpatients with schizophrenia, and examine whether their antipsychotic therapy and other factors may affect the medication compliance. Subjects with schizophrenia who had received any single outpatient first- or second-generation antipsychotic therapy from the Yuli Veterans Hospital, Taiwan, during August and November 2006 were identified from medical chart reviews. The selected subjects were surveyed for information including their medication compliance, sociodemographics, treatment-related side effects, social support, and perceived treatment-related benefits. Their physicians were also surveyed on their medication compliance, Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scores, and comorbid mental illness(es). Good medication compliance was defined as consumption of more than 75% of prescribed antipsychotics in the previous month. Subjects were categorized into this group when both their self-reported consumption and their physicians' estimation were higher than 75%. A logistic regression model was adopted to evaluate the association of each factor with medication compliance. Of the 76 subjects surveyed, 39 (51%) received second-generation antipsychotics (amisulpride, risperidone, or olanzapine), while 37 (49%) received first-generation antipsychotics (haloperidol or sulpiride). Thirty-eight (50%) consumed more than 75% of prescribed medications in the previous month. The average age was 41, and 62% of the sample was male. Education level and employment type were significantly different between individuals with good and poor medication compliance. The regression result indicated that education of above nine years was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of good medication compliance. Employment and perceived treatment benefits were marginally significantly correlated with good medication compliance. Second-generation antipsychotics, however, had no correlation with good medication compliance.