Adherence to Subcutaneous Biological Therapies in Patients with Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Aim: To assess adherence to subcutaneous biologicals in adults with inflammatory rheumatic diseases or inflammatory bowel disease and evaluate factors possibly associated with adherence. Materials & methods: Systematic searches were conducted of main databases from January 2000 to June 2019. Results: 41 articles (32 full papers and nine abstracts) were included in the review. Among studies which used a medication possession ratio threshold of ≥80% as the end point, adherence varied from 28.8 to 89.4%. Possible predictors of adherence were older age, professional or family member support, belief in medication necessity, lower concerns about medication and monthly versus weekly administration. Conclusion: Considerable variability in adherence rates across published studies reflects study heterogeneity and the absence of a ‘gold standard’ to measure adherence.

Keywords::

• immune-mediated inflammatory diseases
• medication adherence
• predictors of adherence
• subcutaneous biologicals

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompanythis paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/imt-2021-0011

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was funded by MSD Spain (Madrid, Spain). The authors received financial compensation for different activities related to the current work. JC Nieto has received payments for lectures from AbbVie, BMS, Celgene, FAES Farma, Gebro, Janssen, Lilly, MSD, Nordic Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi and UCB Pharma. C Arajol has declared no other conflict of interest. L Carmona’s institution (InMusc) has received payments for educational presentations from AbbVie, Astellas, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Spanish Society of Rheumatology, University of Coimbra and University of Texas; has received grants from AbbVie, AEDV, BMS, Conartritis, EULAR, Fresenius Cabi, Fundación 12 Octubre, Leo, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, RIER, Roche, SEN, SEPAR, SERPE, SORCOM and WHO; has received payments for manuscript preparation from Fundación Gregorio Marañón, GOT IT, Pfizer and Sanofi. C Marras has declared no other conflict of interest. L Cea-Calvo is a fulltime employee of MSD Spain. The authors have no other 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 apart from those disclosed.

Editorial assistance was provided by S Dhillon and K Dechant on behalf of Content Ed Net (Madrid, Spain), with funding from MSD Spain.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by MSD Spain (Madrid, Spain). The authors received financial compensation for different activities related to the current work. JC Nieto has received payments for lectures from AbbVie, BMS, Celgene, FAES Farma, Gebro, Janssen, Lilly, MSD, Nordic Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi and UCB Pharma. C Arajol has declared no other conflict of interest. L Carmona’s institution (InMusc) has received payments for educational presentations from AbbVie, Astellas, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Spanish Society of Rheumatology, University of Coimbra and University of Texas; has received grants from AbbVie, AEDV, BMS, Conartritis, EULAR, Fresenius Cabi, Fundación 12 Octubre, Leo, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, RIER, Roche, SEN, SEPAR, SERPE, SORCOM and WHO; has received payments for manuscript preparation from Fundación Gregorio Marañón, GOT IT, Pfizer and Sanofi. C Marras has declared no other conflict of interest. L Cea-Calvo is a fulltime employee of MSD Spain. The authors have no other 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 apart from those disclosed. Editorial assistance was provided by S Dhillon and K Dechant on behalf of Content Ed Net (Madrid, Spain), with funding from MSD Spain.