Adherence to interferon β-1b treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis in Spain.

<h4>Background</h4>Adherence to interferon β-1b (INFβ-1b) therapy is essential to maximize the beneficial effects of treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS). For that reason, the main objectives of this study are to assess adherence to INFβ-1b in patients suffering from MS in Spain, and to...

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Autores principales: Oscar Fernández, Eduardo Agüera, Guillermo Izquierdo, Jorge Millán-Pascual, Lluis Ramió I Torrentà, Pedro Oliva, Joaquin Argente, Yasmina Berdei, Jose Maria Soler, Olga Carmona, Jose Maria Errea, Jordi Farrés, Group on Adherence to IFNb-1b in Spain
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012
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Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/07e2c17a9ecd490182090a7a1c6873aa
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Sumario:<h4>Background</h4>Adherence to interferon β-1b (INFβ-1b) therapy is essential to maximize the beneficial effects of treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS). For that reason, the main objectives of this study are to assess adherence to INFβ-1b in patients suffering from MS in Spain, and to identify the factors responsible for adherence in routine clinical practice.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>This was an observational, retrospective, cross-sectional study including 120 Spanish patients with MS under INFβ-1b treatment. Therapeutic adherence was assessed with Morisky-Green test and with the percentage of doses received. The proportion of adherent patients assessed by Morisky-Green test was 68.3%, being indicative of poor adherence. Nevertheless, the percentage of doses received, which was based on the number of injected medication, was 94.3%. The main reason for missing INFβ-1b injections was forgetting some of the administrations (64%). Therefore, interventions that diminish forgetfulness might have a positive effect in the proportion of adherent patients and in the percentage of doses received. In addition, age and comorbidities had a significant effect in the number of doses injected per month, and should be considered in the management of adherence in MS patients.<h4>Conclusion/significance</h4>Among all the available methods for assessing adherence, the overall consumption of the intended dose has to be considered when addressing adherence.