Cardiac Patients Don't Take Their Medicines to Heart

According to a new study, at least 25% of people with heart disease do not take the medicines they have been prescribed to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Researchers from the Village Green Surgery (Sunderland, UK) conducted a study of 472 patients on the surgery's heart disease register, and examined the patient's compliance with their prescribed medication plan. Adherence was calculated by comparing the number of repeat prescriptions requested by the patient in a 12-month period with that required for medication to be taken correctly; good adherence to medication was defined as requests for 85%-115% of necessary repeat prescriptions.

The researchers found that a total of 29% of patients failed to take medicines to prevent strokes and heart attacks on a regular basis, and that 23% missed doses of statins to reduce their cholesterol. Women were slightly more likely to take their medicines on schedule than men, as were older patients and those taking larger numbers of medicines. The findings were presented at the annual British Pharmaceutical Conference, held during September 2009 in Manchester (UK).

"Simply prescribing a drug is not enough. Doctors and other members of the primary care team, such as pharmacists, need to work with patients so they understand the importance of taking their medicines in the right dose, at the right time," concluded study presenter pharmacist Wasim Baqir, Ph.D., practice pharmacist at the Village Green Surgery and lead pharmacist for the Northumbria Healthcare NHS (National Health Service) Trust (UK).

In its guidelines on medicines adherence, published in early 2009, the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE; London, UK) recommended a patient-centered approach to address the widespread problem of poor medicine compliance. It stressed that healthcare professionals should adapt their consulting style to individual patients, involve them in making decisions about medication, and address practical issues such as forgetting to take medicines or concerns about side effects.

Related Links:
Village Green Surgery
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence