# Cross‐Sectional Assessment of Medication Adherence and Its Association With Community Pharmacy Experience and Patients' Satisfaction and Characteristics: Findings From the IMPHACT‐LB Project

## TL;DR

This study explores how community pharmacy experiences and patient characteristics affect medication adherence in Lebanon.

## Contribution

The study highlights pharmacists' role in identifying affordable alternatives for patients with limited insurance coverage to improve medication adherence.

## Key findings

- Older age, public health coverage, and longer counseling time are linked to better medication adherence.
- Visiting pharmacies for nonprescription medications and irregular health coverage are associated with lower adherence.
- Patient satisfaction with pharmacy experience does not significantly affect medication adherence.

## Abstract

While pharmacists undoubtedly exert considerable influence over medication adherence and the patient experience with healthcare, a complex interplay of factors should also be considered, encompassing the sociodemographic characteristics of patients, the pharmacist‐related factors, patient satisfaction, and the nature of the community pharmacy experience. This study aimed to assess the dynamics of these factors and examine their association with the adherence of patients to medications.

An online cross‐sectional study was undertaken from April 11 to April 27, 2023, to assess the association between community pharmacy‐related experiences and patient medication adherence in a sample of 865 Lebanese adults using the Lebanese Medication Adherence Scale (LMAS‐14).

Of all participants, 38.5% were regular visitors to the community pharmacy, and 57.7% visited the community pharmacy to obtain nonprescription medications. Almost half of the participants stated that the counseling time by the pharmacist is between 5 and 10 min (47.6%). The majority of the participants perceive the pharmacist as a medication expert (94.2%), a health counselor (81.0%), a health promoter (66.2%), and a practitioner who is patient‐centered (73.3%). Older patient age (Beta = 0.08), always visiting the community pharmacy to obtain nonprescription medications (Beta = 3.63), having public health coverage (Beta = 2.37), and spending more than 10 min on counseling about a medication and/or medical condition (Beta = 3.10) were significantly associated with better medication adherence. Visiting a pharmacy to obtain chronic and nonprescription medications (Beta = −2.98) and having irregular health coverage (Beta = −2.60) were significantly associated with lower medication adherence. However, overall satisfaction with pharmacy experience was not associated with medication adherence (p > 0.05).

Pharmacists are seen as experts in medication and holistic healthcare providers. Sociodemographic attributes and specific community pharmacy experience items influence medication adherence. While recognizing that the effects of age and health coverage can guide interventions, emphasizing the role of pharmacists, including extended counseling, could enhance medication adherence and, thus, health outcomes.

What's Known: Pharmacists play an important role in improving medication adherence and patient care, especially in community pharmacy settings.What's New: Pharmacists may play a vital role in identifying affordable alternatives and interventions to enhance medication adherence for patients with certain types of insurance that do not cover medications.Clinical Implications: Providing patient‐centered care in community pharmacies, such as extended counseling and tailored services, can significantly improve medication adherence, especially in resource‐limited settings. Policymakers and healthcare providers should use these findings to optimize pharmacy services and improve health outcomes in crisis‐affected populations.

What's Known: Pharmacists play an important role in improving medication adherence and patient care, especially in community pharmacy settings.

What's New: Pharmacists may play a vital role in identifying affordable alternatives and interventions to enhance medication adherence for patients with certain types of insurance that do not cover medications.

Clinical Implications: Providing patient‐centered care in community pharmacies, such as extended counseling and tailored services, can significantly improve medication adherence, especially in resource‐limited settings. Policymakers and healthcare providers should use these findings to optimize pharmacy services and improve health outcomes in crisis‐affected populations.