ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES TOWARDS MEDICATION AND ITS IMPACT ON MEDICATION ADHERENCE AMONG CHRONIC DISEASE PATIENTS OF PUNJAB, PAKISTAN: A HOSPITAL-BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: During the last decade, a gradual switch from infectious diseases to chronic diseases has been observed, which is globally responsible for increased numbers of morbidity and mortality. Medication is a core element in the management of chronic diseases. Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the attitudes and practices towards medication and its impact on medication adherence in chronic disease patients. The main aim of this study is to find loopholes in medication adherence for better management and improvement of the health of chronic disease patients. Methodology: 425 participants were recruited from public sector hospitals of Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, Multan, and Bahawalpur. Respondents were assessed using a validated questionnaire, and medication adherence was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) to measure general adherence. Descriptive statistics were used (frequency, percentages, frequency, means (±SD), median (IQR)) to summarize data. Inferential statistics, including Chi-square, Mann–Whitney U test, and Kruskal Wallis and Spearman's correlation, were applied. Results: Participants included a more significant proportion of women (65.5%), and the mean age of the respondents was 52.88±11.13. In this study, 78.2% of respondents indicated a positive attitude, and 61.0% showed good practices towards medication. Almost 50.5% (Mean sore ± SD: 16.5 ± 3.76) of respondents recorded good adherence. The patient's attitude towards medication adherence was positively associated (rs= 0.375, p = <0.001), while the practices of the patients towards medication were not correlated with medication adherence. Conclusion: The study results concluded that respondents indicated positive attitudes and practices towards medication. Attitudes were found to be positively associated with medication adherence.