Assessment and barriers to medication adherence for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease among patients with coronary artery disease in Chandigarh, India

Context: Medication adherence is critical for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Nonadherence to prescribed treatment is associated with adverse health outcomes and higher costs of care. Aims: The present study aimed to assess medication adherence among patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD) in Chandigarh, India. Settings and Design: This cross-sectional study was conducted in five different hospitals or health centers of Chandigarh. Materials and Methods: The standardized Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 item was used to assess medication adherence among adult patients with CAD seen during a visit to major tertiary hospitals, secondary and primary health-care center in Union Territory, Chandigarh. In a separate qualitative study, barriers and facilitators to adherence were assessed through twenty in-depth interviews (ten males and ten females) and one focus group discussion. Statistical analysis was completed using SPSS 16.0 software and simple frequencies and proportions were computed. Results: A total of 260 patients were included in the cross-sectional survey, of which 70.4% were males with a mean age of 58.61 years. More than half (52.7%) of the respondents were from the age group of 41 to 60 years. Low to medium adherence to treatment was observed in about half (47.3%) of the respondents with low adherence among females. Adherence was better in a tertiary hospital as compared to the primary or secondary facility. Provider barriers and access to drugs due to cost barriers were found to be major barriers to treatment adherence in the in-depth interviews. Conclusions: Medication adherence to the secondary prevention of CVD among the CAD patients surveyed in Chandigarh, India, is poor and increased access to essential drugs and improved provider-patient communication is required.