Longitudinal association between medication adherence and lung health in people with cystic fibrosis ★★★★★★

BackgroundThis study examined the relationship of medication adherence to frequency of pulmonary exacerbation and rate of decline in FEV1% predicted (FEV1).Methods95 CF patients aged 6 years or older and prescribed a pulmonary medication, were enrolled in a longitudinal retrospective review of medication adherence and health outcomes (the occurrence and frequency of intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatments and FEV1) over 12-months. Pharmacy refill records were used to calculate a medication possession ratio (MPR).ResultsComposite MPR predicted the occurrence of at least one pulmonary exacerbation requiring a course of IV antibiotics (IRR = 2.34, p = 0.05), but not the frequency of exacerbations, after controlling for gender, baseline FEV1, and regimen complexity. Composite MPR predicted baseline FEV1 (estimate = 29.81, p = .007), but not decline in FEV1.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate a significant relation between medication adherence and IV antibiotics in CF patients, highlighting the importance of addressing adherence during clinic visits to improve health outcomes.