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A Method of Trigonometric Modelling of Seasonal Variation Demonstrated with Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Data
Published on: December 9, 2015
Polypharmacy, Potential Drug-Drug Interactions and Medication Non-Adherence in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A
Avinash M Suntah1,2, Michael Hecker3, Bassel Barhoum3,4
1Neuroimmunology Section, Department of Neurology, Rostock University Medical Center, Gehlsheimer Str. 20, 18147, Rostock, Germany. avinash.suntah@uni-rostock.de.
Neurology and Therapy
|July 3, 2026
Summary
Polypharmacy and potential drug-drug interactions increased in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients over five years, while non-adherence remained stable. Management requires regular monitoring of all drugs and personalized adherence support.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects millions globally, with disease-modifying therapies posing adherence challenges.
- Optimizing long-term MS care necessitates understanding medication-related risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal changes in polypharmacy, potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs), and medication non-adherence in patients with MS.
- To identify predictors associated with these medication-related risks.
Main Methods:
- A 5-year longitudinal observational study of 206 adults with MS or clinically isolated syndrome.
- Data collection included sociodemographics, clinical status, and medication use (prescribed, non-prescribed) via interviews and medical records.
- Polypharmacy defined as ≥5 medications; pDDIs identified using DrugBank; non-adherence based on self-report.
Main Results:
- Polypharmacy prevalence increased from 53.1% to 62.3% (p=0.024); pDDI exposure rose from 67.4% to 81.1% (p<0.001).
- Medication non-adherence remained stable at approximately 26-27% (p=0.855).
- Polypharmacy/pDDIs linked to older age, disability, comorbidities, and lower education; non-adherence linked to prior non-adherence and inpatient care.
Conclusions:
- Polypharmacy and pDDIs significantly increased over 5 years in MS patients, driven by aging and comorbidities.
- Medication non-adherence is a distinct, harder-to-predict risk domain.
- Regular monitoring of all medications and individualized adherence support are crucial for long-term MS management.
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