Evaluation of drug side effects on medication adherence in patients using antipsychotics

This study has been done to evaluate the drug side effects onto the adherence in patients using antipsychotic medication. Study has been designed as descriptive and analytic manner. The population of the study was constituted of 507 outpatient with schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder who live in Bolu province, thesample of study was composed of 120 patients who selected using simple random sampling method. Side effects related to antipsychotics were assesed with Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side Effect Rating Scale (LUNSERS), patient adherence to medication was assesed with a evaluation scheme with five subcategories including; Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS), McEvoy Treatment Observation Form, Adherence to Neuroleptic Treatment Scale (ANT), changing medication dose by oneself and stopping medication by oneself. The statistical analyze of datas were performed with chi-square test, student t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, ANOVA, correlation coefficient and logistic regression.As results of study, it was determined that patients have not been educated about drug side effects and management of these side effects. The ratio of the patients who were reduced the medication dose because of the side effects was %36,9 while the ratio of the patients who stopped medication was %24.3. Hormonal side effects were more common in women and autonomic side efffects were more common in patients who were not using depot medication. It was observed that %75.0 of the patients were non-adherent to medication, %45.8 of patients were having problem due to side effects according to LUNSERS, some side effects caused non-adherence to medication. In logistic regression analysis, non-adherence risk was 13.9 times higher in patients with mouth dryness nd 9.4 times higher in patients with hipersomnia when compared to patients without. It was concluded that, patients should have an education about drug side effects, patients? family along with patient should have been include to the education about management of side effects, It was recommended that close follow up of the patients with mouth dryness and hipersomnia, investigation of reducing the dose or stopping medication because of the side effects by themselves, regular hormonal follow up of women patients and education about inevitable effects and create procedures about management of side effects.