Introduction: Lack of adherence results in worse control of diabetes and an increased number of complications, often resulting in higher healthcare spending. Hypoglycemia, which is sometimes unrecognized, is one of the main consequences of non-adherence to treatment. It is prevented through multidisciplinary interventions which help improve adherence.
Objectives: to measure adherence to hypoglycemic agents, to detect and quantify unrecognized and recurrent hypoglycemia, to learn patients’ perceptions of their treatment and refer them to physicians in cases of non-adherence and unsolved hypoglycemia.
Material and methods: an observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study in community pharmacies, conducted from April 2019 with type 2 diabetics in treatment with hypoglycemic agents for ³12 months on the same drug regimen. To detect hypoglycemia, those treated with sulfonylureas, glinides and/or insulin.
Design of a questionnaire with sociodemographic data, diseases and treatments.
Use of the MMAS-8 test for non-adherence and the Clarke hypoglycemia awareness test.
If non-compliance and/or hypoglycemia is detected and cannot be resolved by the pharmacist, it will be referred to the family physician.
Statistical analysis: the STATA13 program will be used for Windows®. Bivariate and multivariate analyses will be conducted. Statistical significance will be set at p<0.05.
Applicability of the results: we hope to gain awareness of the lack of adherence and its causal factors and the prevalence of unrecognized hypoglycemia so that, in another project, an efficient pharmaceutical intervention program can be established to improve adherence to pharmacotherapy of patients treated with hypoglycemic agents and reduce the occurrence of hypoglycemia.