The Prevalence and Impact of Nonadherence to Analgesic Medications in Chronic Pain Patients: A Cross-sectional Study
Abstract
Objective: Nonadherence to medication therapy is a common problem among patients with chronic pain. Nonadherence to medication leads to failure of treatment and increased healthcare costs. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of nonadherence to pain medications and its impact among patients who visit the outpatient pain clinic at Siriraj Hospital.
Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from September to December 2021, involving 150 chronic pain patients. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect demographic and treatment-related information. Medication adherence was evaluated using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 (MMAS-8) questionnaire and pill count. The Brief Pain Inventory was used to assess the intensity of pain and its impact on daily life. The total cost of the unused medication was calculated based on the market value of each medication.
Results: The overall prevalence of nonadherence to pain medications among chronic pain patients was 25.3% by MMAS-8 scoring, 38% by pill count, and 53.1% by combining MMAS-8 and pill count. The highest prevalence of nonadherence was observed among participants who received strong opioids. However, there was no significant association between sociodemographic data, diagnosis, type of analgesic, number of prescribed analgesics, frequency of analgesic management, and drug compliance. Nonadherence to analgesic medication was associated with less pain reduction after treatment, greater impact of pain on normal work, and decreased enjoyment of life.
Conclusion: The prevalence of nonadherence to analgesic medications among patients with chronic pain is high. Nonadherence to analgesic medications is associated with negative impacts on clinical outcomes and function.
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