Primary prescription adherence for obstructive lung disease in a primary care population

The objective of this study was to determine primary prescription adherence for obstructive lung diseases (e.g., asthma, COPD) in an adult primary care patient population over a 3-year period.

A retrospective analysis of electronic medical record and administrative data was performed to determine primary adherence, defined as dispensation of a new prescription within 90 days of the date the prescription was written. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to test predictors of prescription primary adherence.

Of 13,220 prescriptions for obstructive airway disease, 75.9% (N = 10,038) were filled. In multivariate analysis, depression, certain age groups (18-44 years), higher income quartile were associated with reduced prescription adherence. However, 1-2 ER visits in the previous year (compared to no ER visits), number of ambulatory visits in the previous year, and number of hospitalizations in the previous year, did not increase the likelihood of prescription adherence.

This study provides important insights about factors associated with prescription nonadherence and is the first study examining primary medication adherence with medications for obstructive lung disease in adults, providing indications of prescription nonadherence patterns among a broad population.