How to identify osteoporotic patients’ attitudes towards pharmaceutical practice?

In aging populations osteoporosis is a serious problem. Low adherence to osteoporotic therapies is a well-known fact. There is a crisis in the therapy of osteoporosis: even with a diagnosis of osteoporosis or after an osteoporotic fracture there are patients without adequate therapy. The aim of the study was to analyze the association between the patients’ subjective importance of osteoporosis and medication adherence, quality of life, depression status and self-reported socio-economic factors, and find the risk groups which can be identified in the community pharmacy setting to improve the quality of care of osteoporotic patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four public hospitals in Hungary. Medication adherence was measured by the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, quality of life was measured by the EQ5D-3L, depression status was checked by the Beck Depression Scale. Patients were asked to what extent their life was affected by osteoporosis compared to their chronic co-morbidities. Three patient groups were analyzed: High, Low and No osteoporosis importance groups. Statistical analyzes were carried out by SPSS program. Significant differences were found between the groups of osteoporosis importance in age, T-score, working status, type of the medication, existing fracture, frequency of pain and number of chronic diseases. The main target of pharmaceutical therapy management is to maintain a therapy-length lasting, periodic contact with the osteoporotic patient to improve the patients’ subjective perception of quality of life. Improving the importance of the disease in patients with low osteoporosis importance could help to improve the patients’ quality of life.