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Many Europeans with Mild-to-Moderate Ulcerative Colitis Nonadherent to Therapy
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European patients with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis are frequently nonadherent to drug therapy, with only 7% reporting high adherence, according to survey results presented at the 10th Congress of ECCO in Barcelona, Spain.
To prospectively determine the prevalence and reasons for nonadherence in patients with mild-to-moderate UC, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, MD, PhD, head of the IBD unit at Nancy University Hospital in France and chair of the UCandME scientific committee, and colleagues developed a 54-item online questionnaire (UCandME survey) completed by 372 patients with UC (mean age, 42.3 ± 13.9 years; 50% women; mean disease duration, 10 years) from six European countries.
Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet
Using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, they determined that 60% of patients had low adherence, 33% had medium adherence and 7% had high adherence. During the 3-month period before the survey, 36% of patients reported they never forgot to take their medication, 30% forgot once or twice, 18% forgot three to five times and 16% forgot more than five times. Reasons for nonadherence included forgetting to take the medication (51%), finding it inconvenient to take the medication (22%), stopping due to feeling better (21%), wanting to prevent adverse effects (20%), fearing adverse effects (19%), fearing addiction (15%), feeling the drugs were too expensive (14%), thinking they did not need the drugs (9%), having doubts that the drugs would work (5%) and not knowing how to use the drugs (3%).
Based on these findings, the researchers partnered with Tillotts Pharmaceuticals to create the UCandME toolbox to improve patient adherence and education, according to a company press release.
“If left untreated, UC can deteriorate over time, leading to an increased severity of symptoms, more frequent relapses, and possible surgery,” Peyrin-Biroulet said in the release. “UCandME provides an incredibly valuable toolbox, which can help us offer patients the education they need to achieve better results in UC management.”
According to the release, the UCandME toolbox provides digital and physical resources, including a questionnaire to identify patient needs and concerns, and customizable educational materials. The program will be made available in European countries through this year and next. – by Adam Leitenberger
Reference:
Vavricka S, et al. Abstract P496. Presented at: 10th Congress of ECCO; Feb. 18-21, 2015; Barcelona, Spain.
Disclosure: Peyrin-Biroulet reports personal fees from AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celltrion, Ferring, Genentech, Hospira, Janssen, Lilly, Mitsubishi, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Norgine, Pfizer, Pharmacosmos, Shire, Takeda, Tillotts, UCB and Vifor outside the submitted work. Please see the ECCO website for all other researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.