Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Mar 26:18:753-766.
doi: 10.2147/PPA.S456117. eCollection 2024.

Patients' Preference for Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms: Does It Affect Medication Adherence? A Cross-Sectional Study in Community Pharmacies

Liknaw Workie Limenh  1 , Tewodros Ayalew Tessema  1 , Wudneh Simegn  2 , Wondim Ayenew  2 , Zemenu Wube Bayleyegn  2 , Ashenafi Kibret Sendekie  3 , Gashaw Sisay Chanie  3 , Eneyew Talie Fenta  4 , Alemante Tafese Beyna  5 , Asmamaw Emagn Kasahun  1
Affiliations

Patients' Preference for Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms: Does It Affect Medication Adherence? A Cross-Sectional Study in Community Pharmacies

Liknaw Workie Limenh et al. Patient Prefer Adherence. .

Abstract

Background: Dosage forms (DF), which are primarily divided into solid, semisolid, liquid, and gaseous, are among the different factors that influence drug adherence. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate how patients' preferences for pharmaceutical DF affected their adherence to medication in community pharmacies in Gondar town.

Methods: A cross-sectional study on community pharmacies was carried out from June 25 to July 27, 2023. The statistical package for social sciences, version 26, was used for data analysis. Factors associated with patient medication discontinuation were found using both bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions.

Results: According to our study, the majority of respondents (42.4%) preferred tablet DF. Most respondents (63.9%) DF preference was affected by the size of the medication, in which small-sized were most preferable (59.6%). The oral route of administration was the most preferable (71.2%). The majority of the respondents (59.9%) had a history of discontinuation of medicines. Being male (AOR=2.21, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.79), living in rural areas (AOR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.03, 3.83), types of DF (AOR=4.59, 95% CI: 1.28, 16.52), high frequency of administration (AOR=2.22, 95% CI: 1.08, 4.57), high cost of medication (AOR=3.09, 95% CI: 1.69, 5.68), getting some improvement from illness (AOR=3.29, 95% CI: 1.10, 9.87), and high number of drugs (AOR=3.29, 95% CI: 1.67, 13.85) were significantly associated with medication discontinuation.

Conclusion: Our findings showed that tablet dosage forms, oral routes of administration, and once-daily taking of medicines were the most preferred by our respondents. Being male, living in rural areas, types of DF, high frequency of administration, high cost of medication, getting some improvement from illness, and high number of drugs were significantly associated with medication discontinuation. This provides an insight into what to consider when prescribing medicine to enhance patients' adherence and overall therapeutic outcomes.

Keywords: adherence; associated factors; dosage form preference; routes of administration.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Participants preference (%) vs types of dosage forms.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Participants preference (%) vs types of routes of administration.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Stewart KD, Johnston JA, Matza LS., et al. Preference for pharmaceutical formulation and treatment process attributes. Patient Preference Adherence. 2016;10:1385–1399. doi:10.2147/PPA.S101821 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Almukainzi M. Assessment of oral solid dosage forms administration manner and acceptability. Pharmacia. 2021;68(2):393–400. doi:10.3897/pharmacia.68.e65604 - DOI
    1. Kabeya K, Satoh H, Hori S, Sawada Y. Experimental study on patient preferences regarding the shape and size of medical tablets and capsules using three-dimensionally printed plastic model formulations. Patient Prefer Adher. 2021;15:863–870. doi:10.2147/PPA.S306582 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Shariff ZB, Kirby DJ, Missaghi S, Rajabi-Siahboomi A, Maidment ID. Patient-centric medicine design: key characteristics of oral solid dosage forms that improve adherence and acceptance in older people. Pharmaceutics. 2020;12(10):1–15. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics12100905 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Nyol S, Gupta M. Immediate drug release dosage form: a review. J Drug Delivery Ther. 2013;3(2):155–161.