Non-Adherence to Antiseizure Medications: Rate and Predictors in Saudi Arabia
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Background and Objectives: The objective of this paper is to determine the rate and predictors of non-adherence to antiseizure medications in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study which involved questionnaires and data collection from patients’ medical records was conducted at neurology clinics. The rate of non-adherence to antiseizure medications was measured using “the Medication Adherence Rating Scale” (MARS). Predictors of non-adherence to antiseizure medications were evaluated using a multidimensional questionnaire specific to epilepsy. Results: One hundred and sixty-two patients participated in the study. The mean (SD) age was 34.1 (10.4) years, and 56% were male. Epilepsy was controlled (i.e., seizure-free ≥ 1 year) in 42% of patients. The mean ± SD (range) MARS scores were 7.80 ± 1.59 (2–10). Out of 162 patients, 58 (36%) patients had MARS scores ≤ 7 out of 10. The most frequently rated predictor for non-adherence was poor seizure control, which was reported by around 36% of patients. Forgetfulness, dosing frequency, and social stigma were also among the commonest predictors of non-adherence to antiseizure medications that were rated by approximately 27%, 24%, and 22% of the patients, respectively. The impacts of several socio-demographic and clinical factors on adherence were assessed. In the regression analysis, the odds of non-adherence in a patient who experienced adverse effects were twice that of a patient who did not have adverse effects (p = 0.113). Furthermore, females, employers, and patients who had comorbidity, those with focal epilepsy, those on polytherapy of antiseizure medication, and those receiving multiple doses per day, were all more likely (but not significantly, p > 0.05) to be non-adherent compared to their counterparts. Conclusions: The significance of this study is that it reveals that adherence to antiseizure medications is suboptimal in Saudi Arabia. Poor seizure control, forgetfulness, dosing frequency, and social stigma were the primary patient-reported predictors of non-adherence in epilepsy. This emphasizes the importance of routine evaluation of adherence in practice to identify and address what individual patients perceive as a barrier to adherence with antiseizure medications.
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Prior analyses of social-media-based discussions and adherence patterns reported that online content frequently overemphasized side effects while underrepresenting efficacy data, a pattern observed in videos scoring high on the TMRS "discouragement of evidence-based care" item.
“Regarding antiseizure medications (ASMs), prior analyses of social-media-based discussions and adherence patterns35 reported that online content frequently overemphasized side effects while underrepresenting efficacy data, a pattern we observed in videos scoring high on the TMRS “discouragement of evidence-based care” item.”
From Quality, reliability, and treatment misinformation risk of epilepsy content on Chinese short-video platforms TikTok (Douyin) and Bilibili: a cross-sectional analysis (2026) · cites this paper as [35]
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References 47 · Cited by 7
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- [33]Aparasu R. Research Methods for Pharmaceutical Practice and Policy Pharmaceutical Press London, UK 2011
- Authors
- Alrukban, N. A., Alotaibi, S. A., Alanizy, L. N., Saleh, A., & Alsfouk, B. A.
- Affiliations
- Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (SA)
- King Fahd Medical City (SA)
- Corresponding author
- Alsfouk, Bshra A.
- Venue
- Medicina
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2024-10-09
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1649
- ISSN
- 1010-660X (ISSN-L)
- 1648-9144
- PMC
- PMC11509931
- OpenAlex
- W4403248854
- Cited by
- 7
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 3
- FWCI
- 3.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Medicina (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNURSP2024R142, IRF 023-020)
- King Fahad Medical City (PNURSP2024R142, IRF 023-020)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Family Practice › Medication Adherence and Compliance
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Epilepsy research and treatment
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmacology › Pharmacy and Medical Practices
- Keywords
- medication non-adherence, antiepileptic drugs, epilepsy, predictors of non-adherence, Medication Adherence Rating Scale, seizure control, adverse drug reactions, social stigma, forgetfulness, dosing frequency, polypharmacy, Saudi Arabia
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anticonvulsants, Cross-Sectional Studies, Epilepsy, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Saudi Arabia, Drug Monitoring, Medication Adherence
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