Background

Medication adherence is a critical determinant of therapeutic success in chronic disease management. Poor adherence contributes significantly to disease progression, increased hospitalization rates, higher healthcare expenditures, and reduced quality of life. Chronic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease require long-term medication regimens, making adherence a major healthcare challenge worldwide.

Objective

To assess medication adherence among patients with chronic diseases and identify factors influencing adherence behavior.

Methods

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 350 patients diagnosed with chronic diseases attending outpatient departments of tertiary healthcare centers. Medication adherence was assessed using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). Demographic variables, disease characteristics, treatment duration, and socioeconomic factors were evaluated. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression.

Results

Among 350 participants, 38.6% demonstrated high adherence, 34.3% moderate adherence, and 27.1% low adherence. Major predictors of poor adherence included polypharmacy, low educational status, medication costs, forgetfulness, and inadequate patient counseling. Significant associations were observed between adherence levels and age, education, disease duration, and number of prescribed medications (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Medication adherence remains suboptimal among patients with chronic diseases. Multifaceted interventions including patient education, counseling, reminder systems, and healthcare provider engagement are essential to improve adherence and clinical outcomes.