Treatment satisfaction in renal transplant patients taking tacrolimus once daily.

Background: Adherence to immunosuppressive therapy, which is important to prevent rejection after organ transplantation, is influenced by satisfaction of patients with their medication regimen.

Objective: We investigated the effect of introducing a simplified medication regimen for renal transplant patients on treatment satisfaction, in particular, convenience.

Methods: In a prospective cohort study, treatment was switched from tacrolimus twice daily to tacrolimus once daily with a simultaneous change to a once-daily formulation of other drugs when applicable. Treatment satisfaction was measured in 75 participants with the validated Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication version II.

Results: The treatment convenience score increased from a mean (SD) of 66.0 (14.5) to 78.5 (14.5) (P < 0.001). The mean (SD) daily number of medication ingestion time points diminished from 2.4 (0.7) to 1.6 (0.7) (P < 0.001), and the mean (SD) daily number of tablets decreased from 12.4 (3.3) to 9.1 (2.6) (P < 0.001). The self-reported adherence to the medication regimen increased from 79.7% to 94.6% (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The introduction of a simplified medication regimen enabled by the use of a once-daily formulation of tacrolimus increases treatment convenience after renal transplantation. This regimen had a beneficial effect on self-reported adherence.