Clinical research studyFixed-Dose Combinations Improve Medication Compliance: A Meta-Analysis
Section snippets
Selection of Studies
We conducted a MEDLINE search of studies using the terms: fixed-dose combinations, compliance, adherence, or persistence. We limited our search to studies in human subjects and English language in peer-reviewed journals from 1966 to November 2005. We checked the reference lists of reviewed articles and original studies identified by the electronic search to find other potentially eligible studies.
We then looked for studies in which fixed-dose combination medications were compared against the
Characteristics of Trials
The characteristic of the studies evaluated are elaborated in Table 1. Among the 9 studies on chronic disease evaluated, 2 were in the cohort of patients with tuberculosis, 1 study in patients with HIV, 4 studies in the hypertensive cohort, and 2 studies in the diabetic cohort. The study by Dezii et al 22 involved 2 subgroups, one using a fixed-dose combination of lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide, and the other using a fixed-dose combination of enalapril and hydrochlorothiazide. The study by
Discussion
This study evaluated the role of fixed-dose combination regimens to improve medication compliance in patients with chronic illness. The results of this study show that fixed-dose combination regimens reduce the risk of non-compliance by 24%-26% compared to free-drug combination regimens. In the subgroup of patients with hypertension, fixed-dose combination regimens reduced the risk of medication non-compliance by 24% compared to free-drug combination regimens.
Conclusions
Fixed-dose combinations provide us with a strong armamentarium in chronic disease management. Non-compliance to medication regimens is reduced by 24%-26% with fixed-dose combination regimens. Fixed-dose combinations should be considered in patients with chronic conditions, like hypertension, for improving medication compliance, which can translate into better clinical outcomes.
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