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. 2011 Jul;10(4):258-64.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2011.03.005. Epub 2011 Mar 31.

Longitudinal association between medication adherence and lung health in people with cystic fibrosis

Michelle N Eakin  1 , Andrew Bilderback, Michael P Boyle, Peter J Mogayzel, Kristin A Riekert
Affiliations

Longitudinal association between medication adherence and lung health in people with cystic fibrosis

Michelle N Eakin et al. J Cyst Fibros. 2011 Jul.

Abstract

Background: This study examined the relationship of medication adherence to frequency of pulmonary exacerbation and rate of decline in FEV(1)% predicted (FEV(1)).

Methods: 95 CF patients aged 6 years or older and prescribed a pulmonary medication, were enrolled in a longitudinal retrospective review of medication adherence and health outcomes (the occurrence and frequency of intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatments and FEV(1)) over 12-months. Pharmacy refill records were used to calculate a medication possession ratio (MPR).

Results: Composite MPR predicted the occurrence of at least one pulmonary exacerbation requiring a course of IV antibiotics (IRR=2.34, p=0.05), but not the frequency of exacerbations, after controlling for gender, baseline FEV(1,) and regimen complexity. Composite MPR predicted baseline FEV(1) (estimate=29.81, p=.007), but not decline in FEV(1).

Conclusions: These results demonstrate a significant relation between medication adherence and IV antibiotics in CF patients, highlighting the importance of addressing adherence during clinic visits to improve health outcomes.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Medication Possession Ratio (MPR) boxplot by drug.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Composite MPR by age groups
Figure 3
Figure 3
Pulmonary Exacerbations by Composite MPR (Probability of number of pulmonary exacerbations by Composite MPR while controlling for gender, regimen complexity and baseline lung function).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Lung function over time by adherence category after controlling for regimen complexity and BMI.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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