Secondary adherence to non-vitamin-K antagonist oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation in Sweden and the Netherlands

• Published in: Current medical research and opinion 2018-10, Vol.34 (10), p.1839-1847
• Main Authors: Jacobs, Maartje S., Schouten, Jeroen F., de Boer, Pieter T., Hoffmann, Mikael, Levin, Lars-Åke, Postma, Maarten J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adherence; anticoagulation; apixaban; dabigatran; dosing regimen; non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants; rivaroxaban
• ISSN: 0300-7995; 1473-4877; 1473-4877
• DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2018.1459528

Objective: There is limited evidence on patients' adherence and the impact of the prescribed dosing regimen in non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants (NOACs). We aimed to assess secondary adherence to NOACs and to determine the impact of the dosing regimen in patients with atrial fibrillation. Methods: Patients using a NOAC between 2009 and 2013 were identified from the nation-wide Swedish Prescribed Drug Register and the Dutch regional IADB.nl database. Patients using a consistent dosage for at least 180 consecutive days were included. Adherence was calculated using the medication possession ratio (MPR) and adjusted for overlapping dates. Adherence was defined as a MPR ≥0.8. Sensitivity analyses were performed using a MPR ≥0.9. Logistic regression was performed to compare secondary adherence and to explore the influence of the dosing regimen. Results: A total of 5254 Swedish and 430 Dutch NOAC users were included. The mean MPR was 96.0% (SD 7.8%) in Sweden and 95.1% (SD 10.1%) in the Netherlands. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that a twice daily regimen had a lower likelihood of being secondary adherent compared to a once daily regimen in Sweden (odds ratio [OR] 0.21 [95% CI 0.12-0.35]). Limitations: The influence of selection bias introduced by the inclusion criterion of ≥2 dispensations covering at least 180 days could not be excluded. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that secondary adherence was high in this specific setting among patients with at least two initial dispensations of a NOAC covering a minimum of 180 days. The use of NOACs in a once daily regimen showed higher adherence compared to a twice daily regimen.