Adherence to Anti-Epileptic Drugs and Self-reported Availability and Affordability of the Drugs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract Background Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are the primary therapeutic mode to control seizures in patients with epilepsy. Adherence to the medications is critical to achieving the goals of epilepsy therapy. However, the cost of the drugs and interrupted availability of AEDs contribute to non-adherence to epilepsy treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to assess AED adherence and its association with self-reported drug availability and affordability. Objective To assess whether self-reported availability and affordability of Antiepileptic drugs affect drug adherence among Epileptic Patients at Eka Kotebe General Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from January 2023 to March 2023. Methods A hospital-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 357 epileptic patients using the Consecutive sampling method in Eka Kotebe General Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. AED adherence was measured using a self-report 3items questionnaire focusing on medication use patterns of patients from their last visit to the current visit. Statistical packages for Social Sciences 26.0 version statistical software cleaned, coded and analyzed the collected data. Binary logistic regression was fitted, and P-values less than 0.05 were considered to have statistical significance. Result The prevalence of AED adherence was 55.2% with 95% CI (50.1%; 60.2%). About two-thirds (61.3%) of patients in this study had limited access to the AEDs or could not afford the medications. Self-reported availability of AEDs (AOR=2.04, 95% CI=1.03, 4.03) was significantly associated with AED adherence. Self-reported affordability of AEDs was associated with AED adherence (COR=1.59, CI=1.04, 2.42, P-Value=0.031) in the Bivariate logistic regression analysis; however, when adjusted for other covariates in the multivariable logistic regression, no significant association was observed (p=0.730). Conclusion and Recommendation Only about half of the epileptic patients adhered to AEDs at Eka Kotebe General Hospital. Self-reported availability of AEDs was an essential factor. Improving access to AEDs is critical to improving adherence and management of epilepsy.