Patient-reported reasons for discontinuing overactive bladder medication.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Urology
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Overactive bladder (OAB) affects millions, with antimuscarinic medications being a common treatment.
• Discontinuation of OAB medications is a significant issue impacting treatment success.
• Understanding patient-reported reasons for discontinuing these medications is crucial for improving care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and categorize patient-reported reasons for discontinuing antimuscarinic medications used for overactive bladder (OAB).
• To explore the influence of patient expectations and tolerability on medication discontinuation.
• To determine if demographic or clinical factors predict discontinuation reasons.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase survey study was conducted in a representative US sample.
• Phase 1 screened for antimuscarinic use in OAB patients; Phase 2 surveyed 6577 respondents on discontinuation reasons.
• Latent class analysis (LCA) grouped discontinuation reasons, with logistic regression assessing predictors.

Main Results:

• 24.5% of surveyed patients discontinued antimuscarinic OAB medications within 12 months.
• LCA identified two main discontinuation groups: unmet expectations/tolerability (89%) and general medication aversion (11%).
• Demographic and clinical factors did not predict which group patients fell into.

Conclusions:

• Patient expectations regarding treatment efficacy and side effects are primary drivers for discontinuing OAB medications.
• Interventions aimed at aligning patient expectations with realistic treatment outcomes may improve medication adherence.
• Addressing tolerability concerns is vital for sustained OAB management.