ABSTRACT
Background: Medicine compliance is a matter of concern for clinicians and policy makers
Objective: To assess the compliance to drug treatment after discharge from hospital among acute coronary syndrome patients in a tertiary care hospital
Methodology: This was a cross sectional study conducted over a period of six months from 1st January to 30th June 2015 at Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan. Out of 126 patients of acute coronary syndrome, discharged from CCU of Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, we were able to contact 80 patients on phone, 47 were alive and have given information regarding medicine use, 3 were reported died during study period while 30 has given inadequate information so were excluded from study. The patients also having other diseases like; Diabetes Mellitus, Renal failure, Hepatitis, Endocrinal diseases were excluded. Informed verbal consent was taken from each patient before inclusion in study. Baseline data regarding medicines prescribed was noted in a questionnaire including demographic variables, number and types of medicines prescribed on discharge. Patients were contacted on phone, after six months of discharge from hospital, with the purpose to get information on compliance of drug intake. Variables included were number of medicines prescribed; grouped as three drugs, four drugs, five drugs and six drugs. Compliance was noted from; no drug to five drugs. The data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 20
Results: The mean age of patients was 54 +/- 12 years with 37[78.7%] males. Our study showed that 24[51%] were prescribed three drugs at time of discharge. 18[38%] were prescribed 4 drugs, 4[8.5%] were prescribed 5 drugs and 1 [2%] was prescribed 6 drugs on discharge. This study showed that 11[23%] of patients did not use a single drug after six months of discharge from hospital, 6 [12.7%] only two drugs compliance, 18[38%] showed three drugs compliance and 10[21%] showed compliance to four drugs where as 2[4%] showed compliance to five drugs after 6 months of discharged from CCU. Our results showed that 3[6%] patient died after discharge from CCU
Conclusion: Our study showed that compliance to the recommended treatment for acute coronary syndrome patients at discharge was poor within six months after discharge from hospital and resulting even in death to many of the patients. We suggest that appropriate interventions for secondary care may be planned to improve compliance among acute coronary syndrome patients