The Value of Medication-Specific Education on Medication Adherence and Treatment Outcome in Patients with Chronic Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective: Non-adherence to pain medication is common and may jeopardize the effect of prescribed therapy in chronic pain patients. We investigated the effect of medication-specific education on pain medication adherence.

Methods: One hundred eligible chronic pain patients were randomized into a control or intervention group. They were assessed during an intake (T0) and two follow-up visits after 4 (T1) and 10 weeks (T2). Immediately after T1, patients in the intervention group additionally watched a video and received written information about the medication prescribed. At T1 and T2, medication adherence according to self-reporting including the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, prescription knowledge, pain intensity numeric rating scale (NRS), concerns about medication, and patient satisfaction were recorded.

Results: Experimental group (control versus intervention) did not significantly contribute to the prediction of medication adherence at T2 (P = 0.38). The non-adherence rates were 31% and 43% at T1 and 53% and 49% at T2 in the control and intervention group, respectively. Changes in patients' knowledge of the prescription were attributable to the intervention (P < 0.01). No other significant differences were identified.

Conclusions: Medication-specific education did increase knowledge of the prescribed therapy but did not improve adherence or treatment outcome parameters. There was no association between medication adherence and pain treatment outcome.