Aura Rusu 1, G. Hancu 1, Maria Dorina Paşca 2
1 Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Târgu Mureş
2 Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Târgu Mureş
Abstract
Adherence to treatment, patient cooperation and compliance, means the use of a specific drug by the patient, following the prescription and the medical advice. In contrast, non-adherence means the habitude of the patient who does not follow medical recommendations. In the present work, we present a study of adherence to treatment performed on 100 patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses who require permanent or long-term administration of medication (hypertension, coronary heart disease, dyslipidemia, bone and joint diseases, diabetes, epilepsy). The study was performed in three community pharmacies from Târgu Mureş. Our objective was to analyze and evaluate adherence to treatment in patients with chronic conditions in community pharmacies. The method used was questionnaire. We analyzed omissions in medication, compliance regarding number of doses and indicated concentration, compliance regarding the period between administrations, use of drugs for purposes other than prescribed, administration of the medicines in concordance with the main meals. Another aim is to establish the main source of information about the prescribed medication (general practitioner, specialist physician, and pharmacist). It was established that the phenomenon of non-adherence to treatment is a big concern among chronic patients, and the information about the prescribed medicines is received mainly from the general practitioner or specialist physician. The results show that involvement of pharmacists in counseling patients was minimal.