2020 Volume 63 Issue 9 Pages 609-617
[AIM] Medication adherence is closely related to glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients. To evaluate the association of medication adherence with glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients, we investigated the adherence rate and degree of adherence required to achieve a certain treatment goal. [METHODS] A self-assessment questionnaire survey was conducted in 1022 patients recruited from among hospital outpatients. The medication adherence rate and degree were assessed by self-reported data. The medication adherence score evaluated the medication adherence degree on a scale of 1 to 5 (1=often, 2=sometimes, 3=occasionally, 4=almost never, 5=never). The medication adherence rate evaluated the percentage of medicines used. [RESULTS] Seventy-five percent of patients were considered adherent to their medication. Female sex, age > 70 years old and 1 dose daily were significantly associated with medication adherence. Furthermore, a ≥95 % adherence rate was related to a hemoglobin A1c < 7.0 %. An adherence rate of 95 % matched an adherence score of 4. [CONCLUSION] The present study showed that female subjects, those > 70 years old and those with once-daily medication were more adherent to their medication than others. A more than 95 % medication adherence rate is required to achieve therapeutic goals in type 2 diabetes patients.
