Adherence of patients to antihypertensive drugs in the ambulance of family physician at Primary Health Care Centre Cetinje

Adherence of patients to antihypertensive drugs refers to the extent to which their taking corresponds with agreed recommendations from a health care provider. The goal was to measure adherence and examine the association with socio-demographic and medication status variables. A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted with 120 respondents, aged ≥ 18 years, who are being treated for hypertension and who visited the ambulance of family physician at Primary Health Care Centre Cetinje in April and May 2022. A questionnaire with socio-demographic and medication status and the Hill-Bone scale was used. Adherence was categorized as good (≥ 80%) and worse (< 80%). The age of respondents was 64,6 ± 9,28. The majority were female, married, with a high school diploma, retired and treated for hypertension for ≥ 11 years. The total number of drugs in regular therapy was 6,1 ± 2,85 and antihypertensive 2,24 ± 0,85. 14,2% of respondents suspected the side effects of antihypertensive drugs and the majority participate in their costs. The number of points on the Hill-Bone scale was 10,04 ± 1,90 and 95% of respondents had good adherence. Of all the variables, a statistically significant association was found only for participation in the costs of antihypertensive drugs. The obtained results support the view that patients' personal beliefs about the necessity of taking therapy and the concerns of side effects are better predictors of adherence than other factors.