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. 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. 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. 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.