Prescribing Patterns and Factors Associated with Medication Adherence amongst Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Bangladesh

Abstract Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate antidiabetic prescription patterns and their association with medication adherence. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients attending the Bangladesh Institute of Health Science. Logistic Regression (LR) was used to identify factors associated with medication adherence. Results: Of 504 T2DM patients, metformin (55.6%) was the most prescribed, followed by DPP4i (45.7%) and sulphonylurea (44.6%). The overall medication adherence was 52.4% (95% condidence interval [CI]: 47.9%–56.8%). LR revealed that those aged 40–59 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.1–3.2) and 60 years or more (aOR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.3–4.9), housewives (aOR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1–2.6), having four or fewer family members (aOR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1–2.3), using oral hypoglycemic agents (aOR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.1–6.7) and consume single drugs (aOR: 4.1; 95% CI: 1.9–8.9) were significantly associated with higher odds of adherence. Diabetes controlled and no-diabetic retinopathy group showed substantially higher adherence. Conclusions: Clinicians should prioritize medication adherence in younger adults and those with uncontrolled diabetes, utilising single-pill combinations for optimal T2DM management.