Factors associated with drug adherence in psoriasis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVESAchieving sustained drug adherence in psoriasis remains challenging despite effective therapies. This exploratory study aims to investigate the care situation and factors associated with drug adherence in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis vulgaris (PsO).

PATIENTS AND METHODSA single-center study was conducted at the University Medical Center Regensburg, Germany, comprising a retrospective analysis of 312 patient records of individuals treated between 01/2023 and 06/2023 and a prospective questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey of 62 patients treated between 10/2023 and 03/2024. Sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment-related variables and quality of life (QoL) were analyzed descriptively and explored using inferential statistics.

RESULTSMost patients resided outside the urban care center (82.1% retrospective, 81.0% prospective). Approximately three quarters were adherent (75.0% and 72.4%, respectively). Non-adherence was associated with occupational status, medication class, adverse events, and nicotine use. Patient-reported reasons included administrative barriers (43.8%), financial burden, and adverse events (18.8% each). Non-adherent patients tended to report higher disease burden and lower QoL.

CONCLUSIONSDrug adherence in moderate-to-severe PsO is associated with socioeconomic and therapy-related factors. Targeted patient-centered strategies may help improve long-term adherence, particularly in vulnerable patient groups, optimize overall outcomes, and reduce financial burden on the healthcare system.

Abstract from PubMed