People who have schizophrenia may be more likely to take their oral hypoglycemia medication than people who do not have schizophrenia, according to new research published in the Schizophrenia Bulletin. Researchers used health system data from the Department of Veterans Affairs to compare adherence to oral hypoglycemia medications for diabetes among 11,454 patients with schizophrenia and 10,560 patients with diabetes who did not have schizophrenia.
Adherence to medication was calculated as a medication possession ratio (MPR). An individual’s MPR was determined by summing the total days’ supply of medication, starting with the first prescription for an oral hypoglycemic in 2002, and dividing it by the number of days’ supply required for continuous treatment during a 12-month period. Non-adherence was defined as having an MPR of less than 80 percent of needed hypoglycemic medications.
The researchers found that poor adherence was less likely among diabetes patients with schizophrenia (43 percent) than among those without schizophrenia (52 percent). The finding is surprising because of assumptions about the poor quality of health care that people with schizophrenia receive. However, it seems to be consistent with previous research that shows that serious mental illness is often associated with more visits to the doctor, and mental health clinicians may be more likely to emphasize adherence to all prescribed medications.
See “Does Adherence to Medications for Type 2 Diabetes Differ Between Individuals With Vs Without Schizophrenia?” Schizophrenia Bulletin(March 2010; 36[2]: 428-435), available atschizophreniabulletin.oxfordjournals.org.
See also “Diabetes Regimen Adherence Better in Those with Schizophrenia,” Psychiatric News (July 2, 2010; 45[13]: 18), available atpn.psychiatryonline.org.