Does spatial accessibility of pharmacy services predict compliance with long-term control medications?

J Asthma. 2007 Dec;44(10):881-3. doi: 10.1080/02770900701752680.

Abstract

Background: Disadvantaged urban children with asthma are at high risk for undermanagement of their disease and poor compliance with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS).

Objective: To determine whether spatial accessibility (SA) of retail pharmacy services is associated with ICS compliance.

Methods: Caregivers of 137 urban high-morbidity asthmatic children attended a comprehensive intervention to improve asthma care and outcomes. Subsequent ICS compliance was determined at 1, 3, and 6 months. We modeled 18 measures of SA to 339 pharmacies using logistic regression and adjusting for numerous covariates.

Results: No relationships between SA and compliance were found.

Conclusions: In this group of disadvantaged urban children with severe asthma, compliance with ICS was not significantly associated with SA of retail pharmacy services.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use*
  • Asthma / drug therapy*
  • Asthma / prevention & control*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Health Services Accessibility / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Patient Compliance / statistics & numerical data*
  • Pharmaceutical Services / statistics & numerical data*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones