Long-term impact of pillbox use on medication adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Background: This follow-up study assessed the long-term impact of pillbox use on medication adherence in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients over two years. Method: A cross-sectional study consisting of 52 participants was divided into two groups: pillbox (intervention) and non-pillbox (control). Adherence was measured using the pill count method, and clinical outcomes such as blood glucose levels were recorded. Results: Results revealed that the pillbox group had significantly higher adherence rates over time, with adherence increasing from 94.01% initially to 96.67% after two years. In contrast, adherence in the non-pillbox group declined from 88.62% to 88.26%. Postprandial blood glucose control improved significantly in the pillbox group (141.38 mg/dl to 129.88 mg/dl), whereas the non-pillbox group experienced an increase (137.96 mg/dl to 145.69 mg/dl). Fasting and random blood glucose levels did not show statistically significant changes. The analysis identified education and occupation as important predictors of adherence, while factors such as age, gender, comorbidities, and medication changes showed marginal or non-significant effects. Conclusion: These findings suggest that pillbox interventions can effectively improve long-term medication adherence and postprandial blood glucose control in T2DM patients, particularly when considering sociodemographic factors like education and occupation. Further research should explore the broader implications of these findings for diabetes management and potential strategies to improve adherence in diverse patient populations.