To know the frequency of the adherence to the analgesic treatment in Spanish patients with chronic pain and to analyse the factors associated with it are the objectives of our new report published by the Journal of Clinical Medicine on November 14, the Adherence Day’s Eve.
The report, entitled “A Nationwide Cross-Sectorial Study of Self-Reported Adherence and Factors Associated with Analgesic Treatment in People with Chronic Pain”, is a cross-sectorial study carried out in 1.066 Spanish people that shows that 23,5% of those surveyed suffer from chronic pain and 66,9% of them follow an analgesic treatment prescribed by a doctor.
Contraindications in patient’s behaviour
The results were obtained through this question: “Do you take your medicines as prescribed by your doctor?” to which 81% of the sample answered affirmatively.
In spite of this high percentage, 17,6% of those surveyed admitted that they sometimes forgot to take the medication and 11% declared to take more medication than the one prescribed when they felt lots of pain. Likewise, 46.3% interrupted the treatment when they felt better, 33,3% when they felt worse and 7,3% gave up the treatment because of economic problems.
So, the study evidences that the majority of the Spanish people with chronic pain confirm to have adherence to the analgesic treatment although, as the results show, there are contraindications in their behaviour.
Factors associated with the auto-perception of adherence
The study also shows that a high intensity of pain, taking more than one type of medicine, injection and/or patch as the way to administer the treatment, and some factors related to the patients are associated with the auto-perception of being adherent to the treatment.
With these results, it would be advisable for professionals to inform the patients about the appropriate treatment behaviour and to explore the possible factors that are related with the lack of adherence in order to contribute to improve the pain control.
