Assessment of adherence to tuberculosis drug regimen

Background and the purpose of the study: Tuberculosis is curable if patients take sufficient uninterrupted therapy. Most experts acknowledge importance of patient adherence in efforts to control of the disease. This cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the rate of compliance to anti-tuberculosis regimens by means of urine tests in newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients. Method: Investigation was carried out in Tehran University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospitals, Tehran, IRAN. Fifty patients completed the study. The patients' urine samples were obtained at 0, 1, 2, 4 and 6 months of the study. Simple chemical methods were used to detect Isoniazid, Rifampin, and pyrazinamide, the three main drugs in tuberculosis treatment regimens. Urine tests at months of 0 and l of the study were considered as control tests. Results: After the first month, the patients' compliance was about 96%. At months of second, fourth and sixth, the whole adherence rates were 56 %, 76% and 81% respectively. Conclusion: About 30% of patients were non-compliant with treatment regimen which was more frequent than presumed; therefore detection of non-adherent patients is an essential subject in developing countries.