Dissatisfaction with the Health Service and Non-Adherence to Antihypertensive Medication Treatment in Brazil*

Purpose: Possibly the dissatisfaction with health services influences the non-adherence to medication treatment process. However, such association needs further investigation to extrapolate its results to different groups, for instance, those using only public health services. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between dissatisfaction with the public health service and non-adherence to antihypertensive pharmacotherapy. Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study. 392 patients with hypertension participated; these were undergoing outpatient treatment at Primary Health Care, in a city of Brazil. Data collection occurred between December 2011 and March 2012 through home visits with the application of semi-structured questionnaire. Results: The majority of the interviewed were satisfied with the care received. However, it was found that there was association between non-adherence to pharmacotherapy and dissatisfaction with the reception service, scheduling appointment, care received from the health team, solvability of health problems, group activities, and physician professional. Conclusion: When health professionals do not aim for a service of quality that promotes user’s satisfaction with the health service, it cannot reach good levels of adherence to therapy.