Abstract
OBJECTIVES: There is a need for early identification and intervention of
Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) to alleviate unacceptably growing burden,
morbidity and mortality associated in People With Epilepsy (PWE). This
study is aimed at identifying factors associated with ADR and medication
adherence among patients in PWE. METHODS: It is a cross-sectional
questionnaire-based study consisting of 940 consenting participants aged
16 years and above attending epilepsy clinics for period of 5years with
diagnosis confirmed by International League against Epilepsy (ILAE)
criteria and supported by Electroencephalography (EEG). 21-item
Liverpool Adverse Effect Profile (LEAP) and 8-item. Morinsky Medication
Adherence Scale (MMAS) were used to assess ADR and adherence
respectively. RESULTS: The highest reported ADR in PWE were nervousness
(34.3%), aggression (33.6%) and weight gain (32.3%). Specifically,
(20.1%) of the participant complained of memory problem, while the
lowest were hair loss (7.2%), trouble with mouth (8.9%) and problem
with skin (9.3%). Using the MMAS, 545(90.2%), 28(4.6%) and 31(5.1%)
of PWE in this study were classified as having high, medium, and low
adherence, respectively. Duration of AEDs use and duration of epilepsy
were the major determinant of ADR in PWE on regression model.
CONCLUSION: Duration of AEDs use and duration of epilepsy are the major
determinant of ADR in PWE. Effective strategies to identify and reduce
ADR should be incorporated to management of PWE by Health Care Providers
to improve their quality of life. Furthermore, physician should aim
towards reducing the duration of AED use and the epilepsy.