New Measure of Adherence Adjusted for Prescription Patterns: The Case of Adults with Asthma Treated with Inhaled Corticosteroid Monotherapy

• DOI: 10.1345/aph.1p719
• Publication Date: 2011-03-09T04:09:07Z
• Authors: Lucie Blais; Fatima-Zohra Kettani; Marie-France Beau...; Catherine Lemi eGre; Sylvie Perreault; Amélie Forget
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Databases, Factual; Drug Prescriptions; Asthma; Medication Adherence; 3. Good health; Cohort Studies; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Administration, Inhalation; Humans; Female; Anti-Asthmatic Agents; Practice Patterns, Physicians'

Background: Common measures of adherence to prescribed medications derived from administrative databases reflect both patients’ and physicians’ behavior, even if the are often interpreted as reflecting only patient's adherence. Adherence inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) has been shown be low among patients with asthma. Objective: To develop a new measure adjusted for prescription patterns evaluate extent which use ICSs in asthma is due nonadherent or suboptimal prescribing practices. Methods: The adherence, called proportion days covered (PPDC), defined ratio total days’ supply dispensed during study period. PPDC modification an existing measure, (PDC). PDC ICSs, therapy that should chronic daily persistent asthma, were compared within cohort 4190 ICS-naïve aged 18-45 years health Quebec. Canada. We estimated mean 95% confidence interval over 1 year, we calculated part nonadherence attributed when measured can nonoptimal following formula: [(1 – PDC) (1 PPDC)] / PDC). Results: -year 52.6% (95% CI 51.6 53.6) 19.1% 18.6 19.6), respectively. Forty-one percent could be, fact, non (or use. Conclusions: Our PPDC, may considered another way assess patient taking into account differing patterns.