The Stability and Influence of Barriers to Medication Adherence on Seizure Outcomes and Adherence in Children With Epilepsy Over 2 Years

Objective To determine the stability and influence of adherence barriers on medication adherence and seizure control in pediatric epilepsy. Methods Caregivers of 118 children aged 2-12 years old with epilepsy completed the Pediatric Epilepsy Medication Self-Management Questionnaire at nine time points over 2 years post diagnosis. Electronically monitored antiepileptic drug adherence and seizure outcome data were collected. Results Hierarchical linear modeling results for overall barriers remained stable over 2 years. Specific item-level barriers were also generally stable over time, with the exception of running out of medication becoming more of a barrier over time. No specific barriers were related to seizure control; however, difficulties swallowing medication, forgetting, and medication refusal were related to electronically monitored adherence over time. Conclusions Assessing for specific adherence barriers over time may lead to identification of interventions that result in improved adherence and care.