Hepatitis C patients' self-reported adherence to treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin.
BACKGROUND
Prior research on adherence to hepatitis C treatment has documented rates of dose reductions and early treatment discontinuation, but little is known about patients' dose-taking adherence.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of missed doses of pegylated interferon and ribavirin and examine the correlates of dose-taking adherence in clinic settings.


METHODS
One hundred and eighty patients on treatment for hepatitis C (23% coinfected with HIV) completed a cross-sectional survey at the site of their hepatitis C care.


RESULTS
Seven per cent of patients reported missing at least one injection of pegylated interferon in the last 4 weeks and 21% reported missing at least one dose of ribavirin in the last 7 days. Dose-taking adherence was not associated with HCV viral load.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-reported dose non-adherence to hepatitis C treatment occurs frequently. Further studies of dose non-adherence (assessed by method other than self-report) and its relationship to HCV virological outcome are warranted.
Weiss
J J
JJ
Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. Jeffrey.Weiss@msnyuhealth.org
Bhatti
L
L
Dieterich
D T
DT
Edlin
B R
BR
Fishbein
D A
DA
Goetz
M B
MB
Yu
K
K
Wagner
G J
GJ
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons