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Publications

Journal Article Epublish

PubMed: 42774747 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhip.2026.100850

Mapping medication adherence interventions across Europe: Expert perspectives from 35 countries.

Public Health Pract (Oxf) 12:100850

Authors: S Mucherino, E Aarnio, M Qvarnström, G Hafez, M Kamusheva, I Potočnjak, I Trečiokiene, J Mihajlović, M Ekenberg, J F M van Boven, F Leiva-Fernandez

Affiliations

  • Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, NA, Italy.
  • Center of Pharmacoeconomics and Drug Utilization Research (CIRFF), University of Naples Federico II, Italy.
  • School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
  • Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
  • Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Altinbas University, Istanbul, Turkey. Department of Medical Pharmacology, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
  • Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria.
  • Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital Center; School of Medicine Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia.
  • Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
  • University of Groningen, Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.
  • Mihajlović Health Analytics, Novi Sad, Serbia.
  • University of Novi Sad, Medical Faculty, Novi Sad, Serbia.
  • Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Medication Adherence Expertise Center of the Northern Netherlands (MAECON), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.
  • Málaga-Valle Del Guadalhorce Health District-Andalusian Health Service-IBIMA-BIONAND Platform University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES

Medication adherence (MA) is a key challenge in healthcare. Literature about the real-world implementation of MA interventions across Europe remains poorly understood. This study aims to map MA interventions reported by experts across Europe.

STUDY DESIGN

This cross-sectional study used a self-administered online survey targeting MA experts from 39 European countries. Experts were defined as professionals with clinical, policy, or research expertise in МА.

METHODS

Open-ended responses on expert-reported MA interventions were analysed using the framework method. The resulting categories were quantified at respondent level and described overall and by European region. Regional differences in the proportions of respondents reporting each intervention category were explored using exact tests, with adjustment for multiple comparisons.

RESULTS

A total of 140 MA experts from 35 European countries participated. Communication and education (83.6%) were the most frequently reported interventions, followed by follow-up and monitoring (53.6%), technological solutions (32.1%), and collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches (30.0%). Exploratory analyses identified regional differences in the reporting of collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches and technological solutions. Direct patient communication (35.0%) was the intervention most frequently perceived as successful by respondents and technological solutions were less frequently perceived as successful (12.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides an expert-reported overview of MA interventions across European settings. Communication and education were the most frequently reported approaches, whereas technological and multidisciplinary interventions were reported less often. These findings support the need for further evaluation and more systematic integration of MA interventions across diverse European healthcare settings.

MeSH

Solutions, Medication Adherence, Education, Adherence Interventions