Patients’ belief and adherence to their medication therapy in the Bawku municipality

One important requirement for patients to believe and adhere to their medication is for them to have enough knowledge about the medications being dispensed to them. This can easily be achieved by effective counselling and motivation by health care professionals. The manner in which drugs are taken by the patient is often influenced by the way drugs are dispensed and the type of information given to the patient during the dispensing process. The aim of this study was to determine patient beliefs and adherence to their prescribed medications in the Bawku Municipality. The survey was carried out by the use of designed questionnaires. Out of the 100 patients interviewed, 62 % were males and 38 % were females. 14 % of the patients were illiterates and 86 % were literates. Side effects of drugs accounted for 84 % of patients skipping one or more of their medications. 67 % of patient missed their medication due to high cost. 51% also missed their medication due to lack of knowledge on their therapy and 83% were those having received inadequate advice by health care professionals. Also, lack of belief of patients in their medication was 65 %. In conclusion, patient’s beliefs and adherence to their medication was rated bad, and this is largely as a result of insufficient counselling to patients by health care professionals, lack of belief in their medications and high cost of prescribed medications.