Adherence to treatment and associated factors in rheumatoid arthritis in Kurdish patients: a cross-sectional study

Non-adherence to medicine results in poor disease control and increased morbidity. We determined the prevalence of treatment adherence and its associated factors in Kurdish patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Kurdistan Region. Disease severity was classified as mild (20%), moderate (46%), and severe (35%). Of the patients, 53% had other chronic diseases. Fifty-four percent always took their medications, 27% most of the time, and 17% sometimes. The study found that 38% experienced some side effects and found managing the medication schedule easy (52%) or very easy (34%). The patients reported that 30% missed a dose of medication, with the frequency of missed doses being rare (60%), occasional (16%), or frequent (24%). Sixty percent had regular access to medications. The barriers were the cost (78%) and availability of medications (27%), and side effects were reported to be significant barriers to adherence (26%). This study showed that the RA patients had high adherence to the treatment, with a high satisfaction rate.