An assessment of knowledge, practices and associated factors related to drug compliance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending Diabetes and Endocrinology unit of Teaching Hospital Karapitiya

Abstract

Drug compliance is the main determinant in controlling type 2 diabetes mellitus among many therapeutic measures. Optimum knowledge and practices harmonise with good drug compliance. This stuc^y was designed to assess knowledge, practices and factors associated with drug compliance inpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending Diabetes and Endocrinology Unit, Teaching Hospital Karapitiya. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted where 377 patients were interviewed using a structured, peer reviewed, interviewer administered questionnaire. Eight closed ended questions were used to generate a score out of eight to assess drug compliance. Fourteen questions were used to measure patients' knowledge to generate a score out of fourteen. Out of377 patients, 214 (56.8%) were male. The IQR for drug compliance score of patients was 5.5 (median = 3). The IQR for knowledge score of patients was 6 (median = 7). Majority of patients (n=301, 80%) used only oral drugs while others (n=76,20%) used insulin. Most of the patients (n=295,78.2%) engaged in physical exercises. Patients used medications for diabetes un-prescribed (n=81, 21.5%), in lower dosage (n=126, 33.4%), outside the prescribed time (n=120,31.8%) and replaced medications with other substances (n=134,35.5%). Number of co-morbidities in patient (r = -0.133, n = 377, P <0.01) and knowledge regarding diabetes (r = 0.406, n = 377, P <0.01) correlated with drug compliance significantly. No significant association was found between drug compliance and gender or use of illicit liquor.