Cost-related nonadherence for prescription medications: a cross-sectional study in Jordan

ABSTRACT

Background

Cost-related nonadherence to medications is a commonly encountered problem posed by many patients, and specifically among elderly patients who use multiple chronic medications. This study aims to explore the prevalence of medication cost-related nonadherence and its predictors in Jordan.

Method

A cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2019 and May 2019 in Jordan. The CRN questionnaire was used as a measure to assess the prevalence of cost-related nonadherence. Logistic regression was used to determine predictors of medication cost-related nonadherence.

Results

The prevalence rate of CRN was 29.6% (95% CI: 27.0–32.3). Participants who are married or widowed were found to have higher odds of being non-adherent due to medication costs, with an odds ratio of 1.55 (95%CI: 1.19–2.00) and 1.95 (95%CI: 1.20–3.15), respectively. Lower educational level was associated with higher odds of being non-adherent 1.95 (95%CI: 1.25–3.05). Being retired was associated with higher odds of being non-adherent (2.20 (95%CI: 1.49–3.27)).

Conclusion

Cost-related nonadherence is a common problem in Jordan and was most prevalent among those with hypertension and diabetes mellitus, low-income, and low levels of education. Our findings could help in developing interventions to improve cost-related medication nonadherence in developing countries.

KEYWORDS:

• Cost
• Jordan
• nonadherence
• prescription

Data availability statement

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Acknowledgments

The author is thankful to all the participants who made this research possible.

Author contribution

AN: conceptualization, data collection, interpretation, methodology, formal analysis, data curation, validation, writing the original draft, writing–review and editing, and project administration.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Disclosures

A reviewer on this manuscript has disclosed being the Deputy Editor in Chief, Journal of Medical Economics; Quantitative Methods Editor, JAMA Dermatology. The reviewer also owns equity in Matrix45, LLC, which provides consultation services to the life sciences industries, government agencies (US, EU, international), academic institutions, and professional and patient advocacy organizations. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no other relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.