title: Adherence to antihypertensives: feasibility of two self-report instruments to investigate medication-taking behaviour in German community pharmacies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To design and test the feasibility of two questionnaires in German community pharmacies exploring self-reported adherence to antihypertensives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two self-report questionnaires were designed for patients treated with antihypertensives. The 29-item-questionnaire (long form, LF) was completed by pharmacists interviewing patients who were on the premises filling a prescription. The short form (SF; 19 items) was sent by pharmacies to patients via mail. The acceptance of the instruments by patients and pharmacists as well as the feasibility to measure medication-taking behaviour was investigated. Adherence was investigated by using a modified 5-(LF) or 6-item (SF) Morisky score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 44 community pharmacies contacted, 18 agreed to participate. Patients' response rates were 428/915 (46.8%) for the SF and 249/760 (32.8%) for the LF. One hundred and seventy-nine patients (41.8%) and 70 patients (28.1%) reported adherence problems according to the SF and LF respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to develop a self-report instrument for the detection of non-adherence in patients taking antihypertensives in this setting in Germany. Patients were willing to provide detailed information about their medication-taking behaviour. Underestimation of non-adherence may be more pronounced when applying the questionnaire in the pharmacy.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors: Miriam
authors: M
authors: Ude
authors: Kristina
authors: K
authors: Leuner
authors: Katrin
authors: K
authors: Schüssel
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Schulz
authors: Walter E
authors: WE
authors: Müller
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D010595:Pharmacists; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents