Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 18, 2026
A Precision Medicine Tool for Measurement and Monitoring of Hemoglobin S in Sickle Cell Disease Patients Receiving Transfusion Therapy
Adherence to routinely prescribed medications among paediatric sickle cell disease patients in Kumasi, Ghana
Merlene A Agyekum1,2, Samuel B Nguah2,3, Joseph Attakorah1
1Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Insights
Adherence to routine medications for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) patients in Kumasi, Ghana, was low at 13.5%. High medication costs significantly impact patient adherence, necessitating further investigation into cost-effective strategies.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Public Health
- Pharmacoeconomics
Background:
- Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) requires consistent medication adherence for effective management.
- Understanding adherence barriers is crucial for improving patient outcomes in resource-limited settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure adherence to routinely prescribed medications among pediatric SCD patients in Kumasi, Ghana.
- To identify factors influencing medication adherence, particularly cost.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study was conducted at the Pediatric SCD Outpatient Clinic of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
- Two hundred pediatric SCD patients were assessed for adherence to medications like Penicillin V, Folic Acid, Hydroxyurea, and Vitamins.
- Data on medication cost and patient-reported barriers were collected.
Main Results:
- The overall adherence rate to routine medications was low at 13.5%.
- Forgetfulness (49%), cost (27%), and side effects (14%) were primary barriers to adherence.
- Hydroxyurea was the most expensive medication, contributing to 44.5% of unobtained prescriptions due to cost.
Conclusions:
- Low adherence to essential SCD medications in Kumasi is significantly linked to high medication costs.
- Further research is needed to explore the impact of non-adherence on patient health and to develop cost-effective interventions.
Objective:
To measure the adherence to routinely prescribed medications among Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) patients in Kumasi, Ghana.
Design:
A cohort study involving paediatric SCD patients presenting to the outpatient clinic at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
Setting:
The Pediatric SCD Outpatient Clinic of KATH.
Participants:
Two hundred SCD patients visiting the outpatient clinic.
Intervention:
None.
Main Outcome Measure:
Cost and adherence to Penicillin V, Folic Acid, Hydroxyurea and Vitamins prescribed to SCD patients on routine outpatient visits.
Results:
Of the 200 participants, the highest and lowest phenotypes were Hb-SS (162, 80.1%) and Sβ-thal (3, 1.5%), respectively. The adherence rate to routine medications was 13.5% (95%CI: ut9.1% to 19.0%). Patient factors that affect adherence included forgetfulness 98(49%), cost 54(27%), and side effects 28(14%) of medication, and improvement in health 7(3.5%). Hydroxyurea was the costliest to the patients with a median (IQR) cost of GHc 75 (0, 450) or USD12 (0, 73), and the least was folic acid with a median of GHc 6 (0, 42) or USD 1 (0, 7). 44.5% of all medications prescribed were not obtained in full. 83% of those who did not purchase all the medicines attributed this to cost, with 13% indicating they had some at home.
Conclusion:
There is low adherence to routine medications used by SCD patients in Kumasi, and this could be because of their relatively high cost. Further studies should be made to assess the non-adherent effects of SCD medications on patients' health.
Funding:
This work was funded by the Sickle Pan-African Research Consortium (SPARCO), Kumasi-Ghana site.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion
01:29Drug Dosing: Infants and Children
01:23Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
01:21Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview
01:24Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
01:28Drug Therapy
Antianxiety Medications