A Survey on Medication Adherence and Its Associated Factors in Antibiotic-Takers Following Their Discharge from Hospital

Abstract

Background: High adherence to antibiotic therapy is essential for complete cure, reduction of treatment costs, and prevention of drug resistance. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate adherence to antibiotic treatment and its associated factors in patients after hospital discharge. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. This study was conducted on 313 patients discharged from the hospital on antibiotics from October 6 to December 21, 2020. Demographic information of the participants was obtained at the time of discharge from the hospital, and the Morisky medication adherence scale was completed one week after discharge. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square test at a significance level of < 0.05. Results: The mean age of patients was 44.17 ± 19.51 years, and 95% of them were discharged with only one oral antibiotic. The mean score of drug adherence in this research was 6.45 ± 1.41. Those under 40 years of age had poorer adherence to antibiotic treatment than patients aged over 40 years (P = 0.04). The patients who should have consumed antibiotics thrice a day forgot taking their medications more than others (P = 0.02). The patients who received antibiotics twice a day were less likely to discontinue their medication without informing their physicians (P = 0.03). Conclusions: Adherence to antibiotic treatment after hospital discharge is poor among patients. All patients, especially those under 40 years of age and those who should receive medications more often, must be given serious considerations for treatment adherence.