PhD defence I. (Indri) Cahyaningsih

The context of medication adherence in diabetes care in Indonesia: the patient perspective and the role of community pharmacists

Community pharmacists have the potential to play an important role in supporting people with diabetes mellitus type 2 in their medication use. This thesis aimed to explore the context of medication adherence to glucose-lowering medications and the role of community pharmacists in diabetes management, particularly in Indonesia.

A questionnaire-based study highlighted that beliefs about medications and experiences of side effects were associated with adherence to glucose-lowering medications. A variety of promising single- and multi-component pharmacist-led interventions were identified in a literature review. An interview-based study showed that a tailored pharmacist-led intervention could be relevant for Indonesia, but several barriers needed to be addressed to support its implementation. Furthermore, it became clear that natural remedies are frequently used alongside conventional glucose-regulating medication and this practice requires greater attention from healthcare providers. This thesis’ findings provide valuable insights for developing interventions to improve adherence to and management of glucose-lowering medications in the Indonesian primary care setting.

Supervisors:K. (Katja) Taxis, Prof, prof. dr. P. (Petra) Denig