Dissatisfaction with SUS pharmaceutical services and nonadherence to medication use

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Pharmaceutical Policy
• Public Health

Background:

• Medication nonadherence is a significant challenge in managing chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
• Patient satisfaction with healthcare services can influence health behaviors, including medication adherence.
• The Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) provides pharmaceutical services to a large population with NCDs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between user dissatisfaction with SUS pharmaceutical services and medication nonadherence.
• To identify specific dimensions of pharmaceutical services associated with increased nonadherence in patients with hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study analyzed data from 2,448 SUS users aged 18+ with NCDs.
• Medication nonadherence was measured via lack of medication, past 7-day use, and declared nonadherence.
• Dissatisfaction with pharmaceutical service dimensions (timeliness, availability, accommodation) was assessed using item response theory.

Main Results:

• Overall nonadherence rates were 31.6% (lack of medication), 11.5% (past 7 days), and 13.0% (declared).
• Dissatisfaction with service timeliness correlated with past 7-day nonadherence (OR=1.489).
• Dissatisfaction with service accommodation strongly correlated with declared nonadherence (OR=3.132).

Conclusions:

• User dissatisfaction across pharmaceutical service dimensions is linked to higher medication nonadherence.
• Improving service availability and accommodation is crucial for enhancing medication adherence in SUS users.
• Addressing patient dissatisfaction is key to improving chronic disease management within the SUS framework.