Feasibility and Acceptability of a Complex Intervention to Improve Initial Medication Adherence

A cluster non-randomised pilot study with an embedded process evaluation was carried out to test the feasibility of the definitive cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT). The cRCT will aim to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Initial Medication Adherence (IMA) intervention in comparison to usual care, to increase initiation of pharmacological treatments for CVD and diabetes (antihypertensive drugs, hypolipidemic drugs, antiplatelet drugs, and insulin and oral antidiabetics) prescribed in Primary Care (PC). The pilot study was conducted in five PC centres (PCC) in Catalonia (Spain), two were assigned to the control group and three to the intervention group. There were two target participants, the implementation targeted professionals (general practitioners (GP), nurses, and community pharmacists), and the population targeted by the intervention, PC patients. The IMA intervention provided healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skills, and tools to help the patient make an informed and shared decision with the GP to initiate a new CVD or diabetes treatment. Professionals were trained on the problem of non-initiation, communication skills, health literacy, and the use of decision aids (leaflets, website).