Impact of physician' and pharmacy staff supporting activities in usual
care on patients' statin adherence.
Abstract
Aims: Little is known about usual care by physicians and pharmacy teams
to support adherence to statins and whether the extent of this care is
associated with adherence to statins. Objective of the study was to
examine the relationship between the extent of adherence supporting
activities of HCPs and patients’ adherence to statins. Methods:
Cross-sectional study in 48 pharmacies and affiliated physicians’
practices, between September 3, 2014 and March 20, 2015. Patients
visiting the pharmacy with a statin prescription from participating
prescribers were invited to participate. Usual care to support adherence
was assessed among HCPs with the Quality of Standard Care questionnaire
about usual care activities to support adherence. Adherence to statins
was assessed among patients with the MARS-5 questionnaire. The
association between the extent of HCPs’ adherence supporting activities
and patients’ adherence was examined by means of multilevel regression
analysis. Results: 1,504 patients and 692 HCPs (209 physicians, 118
pharmacists and 365 pharmacy technicians) participated. No association
was found between the extent of physicians’ adherence supporting
activities and patients’ adherence to statins. The extent of adherence
supporting activities by pharmacy teams in usual care was negatively
associated with patients’ adherence to statins (B coefficient -0.057
(95%CI: 0.112-0.002). Conclusions: This study suggests that there is no
positive relationship between the extent of HCPs’ adherence supporting
activities in usual care and patients’ adherence to statins. Other
methods than questionnaires (e.g. electronic monitors (to assess
adherence) and observations (to assess usual care) should be applied to
confirm the results of this study