ADHERENCE, ADVERSE DRUG REACTION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HEPATITIS C CHRONIC TREATMENT

Authors

  • Karin Schwambach
  • Carine Raquel Blatt Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21527/2176-7114.2020.38.86-93

Keywords:

Chronic hepatitis C; Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents; Medication Adherence; Pharmaceutical Care; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions

Abstract

Objective: To assess adherence, adverse drug reaction and Sustained Virological Response (SVR) in the therapy for hepatitis C. This follow-up retrospective observational study was conducted in a specialized center for hepatitis treatment in Southern Brazil. Methods: This research included 257 patients under hepatitis C treatment with all‐oral direct‐acting antivirals  in a clinical setting from March to August 2016. The data was obtained from medical records. Adherence was measured by medicines refill and Medication Possession Ratio. Results: Of the 253 patients evaluated, 8,7% had some problem with adherence to the treatment. No cases of treatment discontinuation due to adverse drug reaction was observed.  However, 1433 adverse drug reactions were identified and classified as mild, with an average of 5,6 per patient. The most frequent reactions were headache (55,7%), asthenia (47,3%), altered appetite (41,9%), dry skin (37,2%), and nausea/vomiting (35,9%). The overall SVR rate was 90,9%. Other outcomes were no response to treatment (2,0%), relapsed (2,0%), dead (0,4%), dropout (0,4%) and lost to follow-up (4,3%). In the multivariate analysis, hepatitis C virus and  human immunodeficiency virus co-infection and longer treatment time were associated with higher SVR (p = 0,028 and p = 0,020, respectively). Conclusion: The treatments evaluated have high response rate and were well tolerated by the patients. Adherence to treatment proved to be adequate and contributed to the results. The care offered in a specialized center provides the appropriate management of the patients’ needs, contributing thus to a successful therapy.

Author Biography

Karin Schwambach

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Published

2020-06-30

How to Cite

Schwambach, K., & Blatt, C. R. (2020). ADHERENCE, ADVERSE DRUG REACTION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HEPATITIS C CHRONIC TREATMENT. Context and Health Journal, 20(38), 86–93. https://doi.org/10.21527/2176-7114.2020.38.86-93

Issue

Section

Ciências Farmacêuticas & Saúde