Objective: This study aimed to explore patients’ adherence to antiparkinsonian medication, and to determine factors associated with low adherence among Serbian PD patients.
Background: Adherence to medication is an essential factor that can influence Parkinson`s disease (PD) control.
Method: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional survey that included 112 PD outpatients treated with at least one antiparkinsonian drug and with total score of Mini-Mental State Examination ≥26. A patient`s adherence was assessed through Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS). In addition, the following instruments were used: Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hoehn and Yahr PD staging scale (HY), Schwab and England scale (S&E), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) and Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire for Parkinson’s disease (NMSQuest).
Results: From a total of 112 patients, 29 (25.9%) patients reported high adherence, and 83 (74.1%) patients reported lower adherence to their medication according to the ARMS. Participants in lower adherent group were younger at PD onset, had significantly higher (p <0.05) UPDRS total score, as well as UPDRS III, UPDRS IV, HARS, and NMSQuest total score (p<0.05) compare to high adherent group. Among non-motor PD symptoms, the presence of cardiovascular, apathy/attention deficit/memory disorders, hallucinations/delusions, and problems regarding changes in weight, diplopia or sweating were associated with lower adherence. Motor fluctuations and hallucinations were significantly more frequent in lower adherent group. The presence of motor fluctuations and hallucinations was associated with 2.8 times and 3.3 times, respectively, higher risk of lower adherence. Depression was the strongest independent risk factor that almost 3 times increases the risk of poorer adherence.
Conclusion: The low adherence is common among PD patients. Depression was the strongest independent predictor associated with lower medication adherence. Also, in addition to depression, the presence of other non-motor symptoms can influence adherence to applied treatment.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
A. Milovanović, B. Radojević, NT. Dragašević-Mišković, M. Svetel, I. Petrović, A. Tomić-Pešić, M. Savić, D. Stanisavljević, VS. Kostić. Adherence to medication among Serbian Parkinson’s disease patients: a cross-sectional study [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2021; 36 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/adherence-to-medication-among-serbian-parkinsons-disease-patients-a-cross-sectional-study/. Accessed May 19, 2025.« Back to MDS Virtual Congress 2021
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/adherence-to-medication-among-serbian-parkinsons-disease-patients-a-cross-sectional-study/