Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 25, 2025
Digital Home-Monitoring of Patients after Kidney Transplantation: The MACCS Platform
Published on: April 12, 2021
Factors Associated with Medication Adherence to Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics: Results from the STAR Network
Andrea Aguglia1,2, Laura Fusar-Poli3, Antimo Natale3
1Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Italy.
Introduction:
Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics are prescribed to people with severe psychiatric disorders who show poor adherence to oral medication. The present paper examined factors potentially associated with medication adherence to LAI treatment.
Methods:
The STAR (Servizi Territoriali Associati per la Ricerca) Network Depot Study was a multicenter, observational, prospective study that enrolled 461 subjects initiating a LAI from 32 Italian centers. After 6 and 12 months of treatment, we evaluated differences between participants with high (≥5 points) and low (<5 points) medication adherence using Kemp's 7-point scale in sociodemographic, clinical, psychopathological, and drug-related variables. Factors that differed significantly between the two groups were entered for multivariate logistic regression.
Results:
Six months after enrollment, participants with high medication adherence were younger, living with other people, had lower Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) total scores, lower adverse events, and a more positive attitude toward medication than participants with low adherence. Multivariate regression confirmed lower BPRS resistance and activation scores, absence of adverse events, and positive attitude toward medication as factors significantly associated with good adherence. After 12 months, all BPRS subscales were significantly lower in the high adherence group, which also showed a more positive attitude toward medication. BPRS resistance and attitude toward medication were confirmed as factors associated with medication adherence.
Discussion:
Our findings suggest that adherence to LAI is principally related to attitude toward medication and traits of suspiciousness/hostility. Quality of patient-clinician relationship and tailored psychoeducational strategies may positively affect adherence in people undergoing psychopharmacological treatment, including LAI.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Drug Therapy
Antianxiety Medications
01:19Factors Affecting Drug Distribution: Miscellaneous Factors
Age plays a significant role due to differences in body composition among different age groups. Infants, for instance, have a higher proportion of total body water and lower albumin levels, a protein that binds drugs in the bloodstream. This unique composition in infants enhances the...
01:29Factors Affecting Protein-Drug Binding: Patient-Related Factors
Age stands as a key determinant in protein-drug binding. Neonates, characterized by low albumin content, experience heightened concentrations of unbound drugs such as phenytoin and...
01:21Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview
01:28Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Pharmaceutical Parameters
01:18Factors Affecting Protein-Drug Binding: Drug-Related Factors
One crucial factor in drug-protein binding is the drug's lipophilicity or its affinity for fat. More lipophilic drugs tend to have higher binding extents. For example, highly lipophilic drugs like cloxacillin exhibit substantial protein binding, with as much as 95% of the drug binding to proteins. In...