Qualitative Assessment of Medication Adherence at an Urban Leprosy Outpatient Clinic in Hyderabad, India

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to measure medication adherence amongst outpatients attending an urban leprosy clinic in Hyderabad, India. Design: In this study of observational design, the urine spot test and Morisky Scale questionnaire were concurrently used as qualitative measures of medication adherence. Results: Fifty two patients met the inclusion criteria for this study; 13 patients (25%) were non-adherent according to the Morisky scale questionnaire and 17 patients (33%) according to the urine spot test. 48% of patients were non-adherent on the basis of the urine spot test and/or the Morisky scale questionnaire. Conclusion: The results suggest that poor medication adherence remains an ongoing issue in the management of outpatients with leprosy.