Investigation of Prophylactic Drug Use Adherence in Patients with Migraine

Objective: Adherence to drug use; it is a crucial part of patient care and clinical briefing. Non-compliance with prescribed treatment regimens is an important and common behavioral health problem for treating chronic diseases. In our study, we aimed to investigate the rate of adherence to medication use in migraine patients taking prophylactic drugs, the factors affecting it, and the reasons for decreased compliance. Methods: Eighty patients diagnosed with migraine and using prophylactic treatment for migraine were included in the study. Detailed sociodemographic and clinical histories were obtained at the first interview. The scores obtained by applying the Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventory were recorded for each patient. The patients were evaluated with weekly visits for four weeks; adherence was examined using the tablet counting method. Results: In our study, 70% of our patients who received prophylactic drugs for migraine were non-compliant with the treatment; it was observed that the three most common causes were forgetting to take medication, drug side effects, and drug expiration. It was observed that low education level, being married, diet and exercise incompatibility, and high sleep problems, depression, and anxiety symptoms affected the adherence to prophylactic drug use in a statistically significant and negative way. Conclusion: To increase the patient's compliance with the treatment regimen, all potential barriers to compliance must be considered. Measures that consider the factors under the patient's control and the interaction between patient and physician and patient-health care will have the greatest impact on improving adherence. This will lead to better clinical outcomes and decrease morbidity and health expenditures.