Patients’ Knowledge about Prescribed Antipsychotics and Medication Adherence in Schizophrenia: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Introduction Data on the knowledge about antipsychotic medications prescribed in patients with schizophrenia are very limited. Moreover, it remains unclear how patients’ knowledge about prescribed antipsychotics affects medication adherence.

Methods ighty-one Japanese outpatients with schizophrenia according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition, were included. Patients’ knowledge of the primary antipsychotics prescribed to them in terms of therapeutic effects, type, and implicated neurotransmitters was assessed with a multiple-choice questionnaire developed for this study. Medication possession ratios (MPRs) were compared between patients who answered correctly and those who did not in each category.

Results The percentages of subjects who answered correctly regarding antipsychotic effects, type, and implicated neurotransmitters were low at 30.9%, 30.9%, and 7.4%, respectively. No differences were found in MPRs between subjects who answered correctly and those who did not.

Discussion Our preliminary results indicate that patients lack knowledge about their antipsychotic medications. More concerning, they suggest that knowledge about prescribed antipsychotics may not directly translate into actual medication adherence in patients with schizophrenia.

Key words

adherence - antipsychotics - knowledge - medication - schizophrenia

Publication History

Article published online:
04 July 2017

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