Adherence to pharmacological treatment of arterial hypertension in Primary Health Care

ABSTRACT The objective was to verify adherence to the pharmacological treatment of arterial hypertension and factors associated with the low adhesion of hypertensive people attached to Primary Health Care. Cross-sectional study, carried out in two Family Health Strategies in a municipality in the northwest region of RS. Data collection was carried out at home during the period of January-May 2016. The Brief Medication Questionnaire was used to check adherence to treatment. The study included 145 hypertensive of both sexes. Higher blood pressure values were identified among hypertensive patients with lower adherence than among adherents. Regarding the association of antihypertensive drugs, it was found that the higher the number of medications used, the lower the adherence. The factors related to decreased adherence were: low income, use of two or more antihypertensive drugs and difficulty reading the packaging of medications.