Insulin Refill Adherence among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients Attending Public Health Clinics in Perlis, Malaysia

Insulin Refill Adherence among Diabetes Patients
Vol. 18 No. 1 : 2023 (211-221)

Soo pp Soo pp
KASSIM MSA KASSIM MSA
FAZELI SHAH NNA FAZELI SHAH NNA
MOHMMAD N MOHMMAD N
NG YH NG YH

Abstract
Poor adherence to diabetes medications, particularly insulin, is still a concern. This study aimed to assess insulin refill adherence among diabetes patients attending public health clinics in Perlis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The underlying factors associated with insulin refill adherence were also investigated. This cross-sectional study was conducted among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with insulin therapy from five primary health clinics in Perlis. Simple random sampling method was used to select participants from the Pharmacy Information System (PhIS) database. Adherence to insulin refill was measured by medication possession ratio before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A general linear model was used to identify factors associated with adherence to insulin refills. A total of 426 patients were included in this study. Patients in this study were mostly Malay (94.3%) and female (63.1%). The insulin refill adherence was significantly poorer during the COVID-19 pandemic (mean=59.24, SD=28.97) than before the pandemic (mean=68.31, SD=31.27) (p<0.001). Only total daily insulin dose (adjusted β = -0.129; p=0.012) and not having hypertension (adjusted β = -7.359; p=0.043) were significantly associated with insulin refill adherence. This study highlighted that overall insulin refill adherence among patients in public health clinics in Perlis was still low, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Special attention should be given to patients using high total daily insulin doses and having no hypertension to improve adherence.
Keywords : COVID-19, insulin, Malaysia, medication adherence, type 2 diabetes mellitus,
Abstrak
Pematuhan pengambilan ubat diabetes yang rendah, terutamanya insulin, masih menjadi kebimbangan. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menilai pematuhan pengisian semula insulin dalam kalangan pesakit diabetes yang menghadiri klinik kesihatan awam di Perlis sebelum dan semasa pandemik COVID-19. Faktor-faktor yang berkaitan dengan pematuhan pengisian semula insulin juga disiasat. Kajian keratan rentas ini telah dijalankan dalam kalangan pesakit diabetes melitus jenis 2 dengan rawatan insulin dari lima klinik kesihatan awam di Perlis. Kaedah persampelan rawak digunakan untuk memilih peserta daripada pangkalan data Sistem Maklumat Farmasi (PhIS). Pematuhan kepada pengisian semula insulin diukur dengan nisbah pemilikan ubat sebelum dan semasa wabak COVID-19. Model linear am digunakan untuk mengenal pasti faktor yang berkaitan dengan pematuhan kepada pengisian semula insulin. Seramai 426 pesakit telah dimasukkan dalam kajian ini. Kebanyakan pesakit dalam kajian ini berbangsa Melayu (94.3%) dan perempuan (63.1%). Pematuhan pengisian semula insulin adalah jauh lebih lemah semasa wabak COVID-19 (min=59.24, SD=28.97) berbanding sebelum wabak (min=68.31, SD=31.27) (p<0.001). Hanya jumlah dos insulin harian (β= -0.129; p=0.012) dan tidak mempunyai hipertensi (β= -7.359; p=0.043) dikaitkan secara signifikan dengan pematuhan pengisian semula insulin. Kajian ini menekankan bahawa pematuhan pengisian semula insulin secara keseluruhan dalam kalangan pesakit di klinik kesihatan awam di Perlis masih rendah, terutamanya semasa pandemik COVID-19. Perhatian khusus harus diberikan kepada pesakit yang menggunakan jumlah dos insulin harian yang tinggi dan tidak mempunyai hipertensi untuk meningkatkan pematuhan.
Kata Kunci : COVID-19, diabetes melitus jenis 2, insulin, Malaysia, pematuhan ubat,

Correspondance Address
Pei Pei Soo, Pharmaceutical Services Divisions, State Health Department of Perlis, Jalan Raja Syed Alwi, 01000 Kangar, Perlis. Tel: +6049765033 ext 1134. Email: peipeisoo@hotmail.com