Term of Award

Spring 1992

Degree Name

Master of Health Science

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Committee Chair

Sandy Streater

Committee Member 1

Robert J. Kennedy

Committee Member 2

Emma T. Simon

Abstract

According to recent data, between 25% and 50% of patients are noncompliant in their therapy regimen in some manner. The fourth report of the Joint National Committee on the Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (Neal, 1989) states that noncompliance is the major problem in hypertension control.

It was hypothesized there would be a difference in the compliance of hypertensive patients whose medication regimen consisted of single daily dosing as opposed to those patients whose regimen consisted of two or more times a day dosing.

Potential subjects for the study were hypertensive patients selected from a rural, southeastern Georgia setting who patronized a local pharmacy. The pharmacy's records from January 1, 1989 through October 15, 1991 were accessed to identify patients prescribed only antihypertensive therapy and whose therapy had been consistent for at least fourteen months. Fifty-five subjects met this criteria.

A data collection form was developed so that information from pharmaceutical records (computerized and printed patient profiles) could be obtained in a standardized manner. The form consisted of twelve questions which addressed demographics, types of medication, physician information, payor type, and medication therapy.

From the information obtained, the relationship between ten variables (age, gender, town of residence, race, marital status, payor type, whether subject had children, class of medication, physician setting, medication regimen) and compliance percentage was analyzed. Analysis of data was accomplished by univariate and multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) to test for significant differences between compliance percentage and the factors of interest for the study.

Dosage regimen (once a day versus two or more times a day) was the only statistically significant factor related to compliance percentage.

Copyright

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