An evaluation of adherence to anti-diabetic medications among type 2 diabetic patients in a Sudanese outpatient clinic

INTRODUCTION: Adherence to anti-diabetic medication is a known cornerstone in the management of type 2 diabetic patients. We sought to assess the factors associated with adherence to medication s among type 2 diabetic patients being followed up in a Sudanese outpatient clinic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study conducted among 102 patients with type 2 diabetes attending an outpatient clinic in Omdurman, Sudan during the period from June to December 2017. Participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to collect demographic data, number, and type of medications, polypharmacy, medications side effects, financial problems and education regarding drug used. The study of participants’ adherence to anti-diabetic medications was assessed using a validated questionnaire asking the patients about the percent and self-rating of adherence (Excellent, very good, good, fair and poor). The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to compare the adherent patients and their counterparts. A P-value < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The study results summarized the following: participants (70.6% women), their mean age was (59.62±9.91) years and nearly 60.8% were housewives, their glycated hemoglobin (mean± SD) was about 10.16±3.14, 37.3%, it implies that the patients were non-adherent to medications. In addition, other groups of patients with medication but non-adherence were younger ones (55.94±9.94 vs. 61.81±9.36, P=0.04) and had shown inadequate glycemic control (11.33±3.05vs. 9.47±3.04, P=0.04), however, this group of patients has reported more drug-related side effects (57.8% vs. 28.1%) because they were taking more drugs compared to their counterparts( F=4.115, P=0.047). The present study found no statistically significant differences in the following factors such as sex, occupation, education level, financial problems and insulin use. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the study revealed that adherence to anti-diabetic medications was sub-optimal among Sudanese type 2 diabetic patients and was associated with higher glycated hemoglobin seen among younger age groups. Besides the above, overdosing of medications and their side effects were evident.