Adherence and Perceived Barriers to Oral Antiviral Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis B

BACKGROUND: Globally, of the 248 million people chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), 74 million reside in China. Five oral nucleot(s)ide analogs (NUCs) have been approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in China. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to determine rates of adherence to NUC therapy in patients with CHB, to identify the self-perceived barriers to adherence, and to examine the factors associated with adherence. METHODS: Questionnaire-based interviews were administered among Chinese patients with CHB at hepatology clinics of a tertiary hospital in the city of Wuhan, China. Adults aged 18 years or older prescribed with NUCs were recruited and interviewed to complete a 27-item questionnaire in a private setting, and adherence was measured using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). RESULTS: Among 369 participants, only 16.5% had high adherence (score of 8), 32.2% had medium adherence (score of 6 to CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that adherence rates to oral antiviral therapy were far from optimal. This finding should generate public attention, and it would be beneficial for interventional programs to target Chinese patients from rural regions, as well as patients with low socioeconomic status, cirrhosis, and taking multiple medications.