Factors Affecting Adherence To Treatment Among Hypertensive Patients Admitted In Medical Ward At St. Francis Hospital Mutolere, Kisoro District.

Hypertension cases continue to increase with majority suffering from its complications leading to
increased morbidity and mortality associated with poor patients’ adherence to prescribed
medications. The purpose of the study was to identify the factors affecting adherence to
treatment among hypertensive patients admitted in Medical ward within St. Francis hospital
Mutolere Kisoro district.
The study involved a descriptive cross-sectional design using purposive sampling technique on a
sample of 40 respondents. Data was collected using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire
and the collected data was manually analyzed using computer and then presented in form of
percentages and frequencies in tables and figures.
Findings from the study indicated poor medication adherence at 35%, though nearly all (98%) of
the hypertensive patients were aware of having high blood pressure on admission which
indicated adequate knowledge on their condition.
Poor medication adherence was to mainly forgetfulness (96.2%), lack of money to buy drugs
(88.5%), fear of side effects from drugs (65.4%), use of herbal agents (57.7%) and absence of
co-supporters (15.4%). Additionally, the health care system related factors identified were; pill
burden (83%), absence of treatment supporter(s) (77.5%), high drug prices (72.5%), lack of
drugs at the facility (40.5%), lack of support by health workers (18.9%), poor physician-patient
relationship (16.2%) and multiple drug regimen (13.5%).
The study concluded that poor medication adherence was significantly related to forgetfulness,
lack of money to buy drugs, fear of side effects from drugs and use of herbal agents.
Other health care system related factors were pill burden, lack of treatment supporters, high drug
prices and drug stock outs at the health facility.
Therefore, there is need for the government to invest in chronic care especially reducing prices or
providing free medications to patients who are on long term treatment as in hypertension. More
so, the hospital should enact practical strategies like sensitization of the population through
media and use of locally available methods like radios and conducting community outreaches to
create awareness on various control measures of high blood pressure, promotion of education
campaigns on the outcomes related to good or poor drug adherence to antihypertensive
medications.