Medication adherence among known adult type-II diabetics and its association with glycemic control at a tertiary care hospital

Background: Diabetes can be managed well by adherence to prescribed oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) and/or insulin. Between 33% and 69% of all medication-related hospital admissions in the US are due to poor medication adherence, at a cost ranging from ≥100 to ≥300 annually. Objective: The objective of this study was to study the prevalence of poor medication adherence among known diabetics and its association between poor medication adherence and glycemic control among adults known type II diabetes. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 225 adults with known type II diabetes. Known diabetics with type II and adults above the age of 30 years taking treatment at Malla Reddy Hospital were included in the study. Morisky Green Levine Medication Adherence Scale (MGLS) was used to assess patients' adherence to diabetic medications. The American College of Physicians guidelines on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was used to classify glycemic control. Results: The majority (40%) were 60–69 years, males (64%) and (69.3%) were from urban areas. 37.8% were illiterate. 47.6% were doing business or service. The majority (82.7%) had diabetes for >5 years. As per the American College of Physicians guidelines, HbA1c should be kept at 7%–8% for diabetics. Accordingly, only 16.4% had HbA1c levels of