Introduction

Medication adherence, the extent to which patients follow their prescribed medication regimens, is a crucial factor in achieving optimal health outcomes. Poor adherence can lead to ineffective treatment, increased healthcare costs, and adverse health consequences. Therefore, understanding and measuring medication adherence is vital for healthcare professionals to ensure patients receive the most benefit from their medications. Chung and Naya (2000) investigated the use of objective measures of medication adherence, specifically the TrackCapTM device, to determine its effectiveness in accurately assessing medication taking patterns.

Methodology

Chung and Naya (2000) conducted a study with a sample of 57 participants (32 males, 25 females), aged 18-55 years. The study was designed to recruit participants with asthma who were prescribed medication. A screening process was implemented for 2-3 weeks to ensure that participants met the criteria for the asthma research study. Ultimately, 47 participants completed the study. In the study, all participants were provided with 56 tablets of zafirlukast (20mg) twice daily, which they were instructed to take for a period of 3 weeks. Each medication bottle was fitted with a TrackCapTM device, an electronic monitoring system that electronically records the opening and closing of the medication bottle. This allowed for objective tracking of medication adherence by comparing the number of pills taken based on TrackCapTM data with the pill count from the medication bottles.

The researchers obtained informed consent from all participants before the commencement of the study. However, the ethical considerations regarding the specific monitoring methods utilized were not explicitly detailed in the study.

Discussion

Chung and Naya's (2000) study presents several strengths in its methodology. The use of the TrackCapTM device as an objective measure of medication adherence is a significant advantage, offering a more reliable and precise assessment compared to self-reported data. Additionally, the relatively large sample size of 47 participants strengthens the study's potential for generalizability. However, the study also has limitations. First, there was an attrition rate of 10 participants (21% dropout rate), which could potentially affect the study's results. Second, the study's age range was narrow, focusing solely on individuals aged 18-55. This limits the generalizability of the findings to other age groups. Third, the study investigated adherence to a specific medication (zafirlukast) for a particular condition (asthma), which may not be representative of adherence patterns in other medications and conditions.

Conclusion

Chung and Naya's (2000) study utilized a well-defined methodology to assess medication adherence through the use of the TrackCapTM device. The study's strengths included the objective measurement of adherence and substantial sample size. However, the limitations of the study, such as the attrition rate, narrow age range, and focus on a specific medication and condition, warrant consideration. The study significantly contributed to the field of medication adherence research by demonstrating the potential of objective monitoring devices for improving adherence measures.

Further research in this area could expand upon these findings by investigating the effectiveness of these devices in a wider range of medication types, conditions, and age groups. Moreover, exploring the impact of various socioeconomic and cultural factors on medication adherence is essential to develop targeted interventions that promote medication adherence in diverse populations.

**Source**: Chung, J. H., & Naya, R. (2000). A pilot study of pill counting and electronic monitoring to assess medication adherence in asthma patients. *Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology*, *84*(5), 469-473. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10853733/