Adherence issues in asthma.
In any chronic disease like asthma, the effectiveness of therapy depends on how good the treatment is and how well the patient takes it. Non-adherence maybe in form of omission of doses, incorrect medication, incorrect dosages or schedules, premature discontinuation of drugs, not following advice to avoid allergens and sub optimal inhalation technique. Unrecognized non-adherence decreases the effectiveness of asthma therapy. Non adherence can result in an increased rate of illness exacerbation, hospitalization, emergency department visits and asthma related deaths. One hundred sixty eight patients and their guardians on follow up in pediatric asthma clinic were administered a questionnaire regarding adherence to anti asthma therapy. Non adherence of different forms was seen in up to 68 percent of patients. The purpose of this communication is to report the frequency of non adherence in patients with asthma and suggest remedial measures.
Singh
Meenu
M
Advanced Pediatric Center, PGIMER, Chandigarh 160 012, India. meenusingh4@rediffmail.com
Kansra
Sonal
S
D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires