Determining Medication Adherence in Patients Treated for Parkinson's Disease and Related Factors

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurological disease. This study explores the determinant factors influencing medication adherence and disease stage among PD patients. This study was conducted on 161 PD patients at the Neurology Clinic. The eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) and the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) were used. Medication adherence and disease stage were analyzed using the chi-square test to measure the association of qualitative variables, and the Kruskal-Wallis test to test the association of quantitative data. Ordinal logistic regression was used to relate study variables with study outcomes. Medication adherence has a significant association with PD duration, number of times of taking PD drugs daily, comorbidity, total number of medications used, side effects, and history of medication discontinuation. The mean score of MDS-UPDRS subscales significantly differs. Medication adherence levels are suboptimal among PD patients, with significant correlations between medication adherence and disease stage, motor symptoms, and motor side effect. These insights underscore the critical need for targeted interventions to improve medication adherence and mitigate disease burden in PD patients.