Understanding adherence to medications in type 2 diabetes care and clinical trials to overcome barriers: a narrative review.

AbstractAim:To identify factors affecting adherence to medications in type 2 diabetes (T2D) care and clinical trials.Background:Adherence to medication is associated with better patient outcomes, lower healthcare costs, and improved quality and robustness of trial data. In T2D, non-adherence to regimens may compromise glycemic, blood pressure and lipid control, which can, in turn, increase morbidity and mortality rates.Design:A literature search was performed to identify studies reporting adherence to medications and highlighting specific adherence challenges/approaches in T2D. The search was limited to clinical trials, comparative studies or meta-analyses, reported in English with a freely available abstract.Data source:MEDLINE (31 December 2008 to 31 December 2013).Review methods:Studies not reporting adherence to medications or highlighting adherence challenges/approaches in T2D, presenting only self-reported adherence or including fewer than 100 patients were excluded. Eligible reports are discussed n...