Therapeutic adherence in patients with arterial hypertension. Pharmacist intervention

Abstract

An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out with the objective of evaluating therapeutic adherence in patients with arterial hypertension and the intervention of the pharmacist in the municipality of Menongue, in the Cuando Cubango province, in Angola, Africa, in the period from September 2020 to May 2021. The sample was made up of 60 self-sufficient patients who offered their written consent. To determine therapeutic adherence, the Batalla test and the Morisky-Green test were used, defining two categories of patients: adherent and non-adherent. Furthermore, those factors that could be associated with adherence were analyzed, and educational interventions were carried out during the interview with the patient, such as talks and advice/information. The data were collected in a form prepared for this purpose, using the interview as a working instrument. The result was: a predominance of the male sex, 55%; the average age was between 46 and 65 years; The level of education was primary; and a high consumption of tobacco and alcohol was evident. The most commonly used antihypertensives were diuretics and non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers. 40% of patients were categorized as adherent, compared to 60% non-adherent. Factors such as: lack of knowledge of the disease they suffer from, accessibility to medical and pharmaceutical services and the availability of medications were associated with therapeutic adherence. It was concluded that the intervention of the pharmacist is of vital importance for improving the quality of life of these patients, especially related to the medications they consume.