Transdermal Is Better than Oral: Observational Research of the Satisfaction of Caregivers of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease Treated with Rivastigmine

Background and Aims: Poor adherence to anti-dementia drugs is common among patients with Alzheimer's disease. This study evaluated whether caregivers were more satisfied with, and patients more adherent to, transdermal rivastigmine than oral rivastigmine. Methods: Neurologists, psychiatrists and geriatricians collected sociodemographic and clinical data from 1,078 patients and administered the Treatment Satisfaction with Medicines (SATMED-Q) and the Morisky-Green questionnaires to their caregivers at outpatient consultations. Results: Satisfaction reported was greater with transdermal than oral rivastigmine: mean +/- SD of the total SATMED-Q score, 72.5 +/- 14.1 vs. 65.2 +/- 12.5, p < 0.001. The proportion of adherent patients was greater with transdermal than with oral rivastigmine (65.0 vs. 41.4%, p < 0.001). Satisfaction, in turn, was significantly greater in adherent cases than in nonadherent cases. Conclusions: Facilitating the administration of anti-dementia drugs would improve adherence. Copyright (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel