title: Health disparities in medication adherence between African-Americans and Caucasians with epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to determine whether racial disparities exist with respect to adherence to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in patients with epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the pharmacy and clinical records of 108 patients with epilepsy who were part of the indigent care program at Shands-Jacksonville. We determined the medication possession ratio (MPR) for each patient and obtained other demographic and clinical variables. Using univariate analysis we determined which variables were associated with the MPR and used multiple linear regression to determine those that best predicted the MPR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with Caucasians, African-Americans had poorer (lower) MPRs (0.872 for Caucasians vs 0.796 for African-Americans, P=0.02). Age, gender, high school education, epilepsy classification, seizure freedom, number of AEDs, AED copayment scheme, and number of refills were not significantly affected by race. On stepwise multiple linear regression, race alone best predicted the MPR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with Caucasians, African-Americans have significantly poorer AED adherence, as measured by the MPR.
authors: Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Department of Neurology, University of Florida Health Sciences Center/Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL 32209, USA. ramon.bautista@jax.ufl.edu
authors: Ramon Edmundo D
authors: RE
authors: Bautista
authors: Catrina
authors: C
authors: Graham
authors: Shahbuddin
authors: S
authors: Mukardamwala
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology