Pill burden does not influence compliance with oral medication in recipients of renal transplant

OBJECTIVES: Insights about the predictors of noncompliance are key to develop compliance enhancing strategy in a given therapeutic situation. Renal transplantation is a critical surgical procedure that imposes a large medication burden on patients. There is a suspicion that the large pill burden may lead to noncompliance. Our objective was to ascertain the influence of pill burden on medication compliance in renal transplant patients in the Indian sociocultural context. METHODS: A longitudinal observational study was conducted in two Tertiary Care Hospitals in Kolkata running renal transplant program – one each from the government and private sectors. Totally 120 literate adult transplant recipients were recruited through purposive sampling and followed up at 3 months intervals for 1 year. Data were collected through interview and review of prescriptions and medical records. RESULTS: Data of 110 subjects were analyzed. The pill burden was high – ranging from 10-21 (median 14) at first visit shortly after discharge to 7–22 (median 11) at last visit at 12 months in the government sector; corresponding figures in the private sector were 14–32 (median 21) and 10–28 (median 17). Pill burden increased with age. Only 60.91% of the patients were fully compliant until 1 year after transplantation. The rate of immunosuppressant noncompliance was 27.78% in government sector and 25.00% in private sector. There was no significant association between median pill burden and medication compliance. Satisfaction with caregiver support was associated with better immunosuppressant compliance. CONCLUSIONS: Noncompliance in renal transplant recipients is likely to be multifactorial. Contrary to popular belief, pill burden was not a major determinant of noncompliant behavior.