Impact of Pharmaceutical Education on Medication Adherence and Its Clinical Efficacy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Systemic Arterial Hypertension

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of pharmaceutical education on medication adherence in patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Systemic Arterial Hypertension. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This randomized clinical trial enrolled patients with a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Systemic Arterial Hypertension treated in an internal medicine outpatient clinic of a teaching hospital. One hundred and three patients were randomly assigned to the study groups; 51 to the control group and 52 to the intervention group with a 6 months follow-up. Medication adherence was assessed using the Morisky 8-item medication adherence scale. To improve patient adherence to treatment, a wallet card was provided with an up-to-date list of prescribed medications along with recommendations for follow-up care. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy-nine patients were screened for eligibility, of which 103 (57.5%) participated in the study. The intervention group showed a statistically significant decrease in capillary glucose levels, glycated hemoglobin, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and triglycerides compared to the control group. The frequencies on medication adherence levels at 3 and 6 months in the control group remained similar to baseline, while in the intervention group the frequency of high adherence increased significantly at 6 months (8.7% to 43.5%). CONCLUSION: A high percentage of patients are not achieving optimal control of their diabetes. Medication adherence rates were between 45–50% in patients at the baseline of the study, but after receiving education and support from a pharmacist, the intervened group showed a significant increase in their adherence.