SP 03-1 POLYPILL STRATEGY TO IMPROVED ADHERENCE.

Among individuals with established CVD, multiple medications (aspirin, blood pressure lowering drugs and statins) are required to manage CVD and it is well established that non adherence to prescribed treatments is substantial in the long term. Such discontinuation of CV-preventive medications and low adherence rates has been shown to affect the success of CVD prevention efforts. In low- and middle income countries only less than 20% patients receive recommended therapy for CVD prevention, but even in high-income countries treatment coverage in the community is only about 50% in those with heart disease and 35% in those with stroke. Patients adherence to CV drugs is likely to be adversely affected by a number of factors including patients' beliefs, complexity of medication regime, lack of understanding of their condition or medication, and medication cost and associated clinic visits cost. Fixed-dose combination (FDC) polypill therapy may reduce these treatment gaps by reducing cost, complexity, therapeutic inertia, and low adherence. There are several mechanisms whereby an FDC strategy may enhance adherence. These encompass ease of prescription, overcoming physician inertia, patient acceptability, packaged delivery, and ease of taking. Recent evidence from well-designed randomized controlled trials (UMPIRE, Kanyini-GAP, IMPACT) and meta-analysis (SPACE collaboration) of RCTs have shown that access to FDC polypill in patients with CVD or similarly high risk improved adherence, BP, and cholesterol levels. These trials have shown that physicians are willing to prescribe polypill to this group of patients by involving them in the trial, and at the end of the study more patients were taking the FDC treatment. In order to achieve substantial reduction of CVD burden, immediate use of FDC/polypill in secondary prevention is indicated; however, the evidence in primary prevention needs to be adjudicated.