The lack of adherence to medication regimens is a problem repeatedly found across chronic illnesses. The average percentage of compliance is usually around a 50%. Prior research on adherence to hepatitis C treatment has documented rates of dose reduction and early treatment discontinuation, but little is known about patients' dose-taking adherence. Weiss and his colleagues assessed the prevalence of missed doses of pegylated interferon and ribavirin; they also examined the correlates of dose-taking adherence in clinic settings. One hundred and eighty patients being treated for hepatitis C (23% coinfected with HIV) completed a cross-sectional survey at the site of their hepatitis C care. Seven per cent of patients reported missing at least one injection of pegylated interferon in the last 4 weeks and 21% reported missing at least one dose of ribavirin in the last 7 days. Dose-taking adherence was not associated with HCV viral load.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER: The authors concluded that self-reported dose non-adherence to hepatitis C treatment occurs frequently. Further studies of dose non-adherence (assessed by method other than self-report) and its relationship to HCV virological outcome are warranted. (The rates of adherence described by patients would likely decrease sharply if more objective measures, other than self-report, had been used in the study.)

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A PATIENT: If you receive hepatitis treatment, it is important that you adhere as closely to your health care provider’s instructions. No one is perfect at taking medications over prolonged periods of time, but you can use a number of devices, e.g., pill containers, to remind and prompt you achieve as high a percentage of adherence as you can.

JJ Weiss et al. Hepatitis C patients' self-reported adherence to treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapy, 2008;28:289-293.