Drug Compliance Among Hypertensive Patients; an Area Based Study

Aim: To estimate the compliance rate, associated factors, status of blood pressure control and reasons for non-compliance among patients on treatment for hypertension. Methods: Patients attending the hypertension clinic of Hadiya center were followed up for at least 6 months. They are labeled as uncontrolled if the mean of three consecutive measures of systolic blood pressure was ≥140 mm Hg and /or mean diastolic blood pressure was ≥90 mmHg.Hadiya family practice center in Ahmadi health district in Kuwait. One hundred fifty four hypertensive patients were included in the study.Compliance, demographic variables, duration of hypertension, presence of complications, patient knowledge of hypertension, status of blood pressure control and reasons for non-compliance. Results: Out of 154 subjects recruited, 132 completed follow-up of 6 months, of whom 84 (64%) had uncontrolled hypertension. Seventeen percent of the uncontrolled hypertensives were non-compliant by pill count as compared to 2% of the controlled hypertensives (p<0.05). The compliance rate was 88.6%. Non- compliance was associated with lack of knowledge about hypertension (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the demographic variables, duration of hypertension and presence of complication rates between compliant and non-compliant hypertensives. Reasons for non-compliance included forgetfulness, drugs side effects, shortage of drugs, poly pharmacy and the asymptomatic nature of hypertension.. Conclusion: The compliance rate was high in this study and was accompanied by inadequate blood pressure control among non-compliant subjects. Non- compliance was associated with lack of knowledge about hypertension. This calls for increasing the patient’s awareness of the diagnosis and the need for compliance with medication to achieve control of hypertension in the community.