Barriers to Antidiabetic Medication Adherence among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review

This systematic review was conducted with aim of determining different types of barriers that interfere with the adherence to antidiabetic medications among diabetes mellitus patients in Saudi Arabia. A comprehensive systematic literature exploration was performed via databases and search engines as Science Direct, PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and EBSCO. The review includes 20 original research studies on adherence to antidiabetic medications and their associated factors. The review of the studies reveals that the most prominent barriers to antidiabetic medication adherence were forgetfulness, polypharmacy and complexity of regimen, side effects, low perceived self-efficacy of the medications, and feeling better. Likewise, frequent dosing, long history of diabetes, comorbidities, cost of medication or financial issue, disruption of normal routine, carelessness, busy schedule, God centered locus of control, and food habits were among the others. The identified multifaceted barriers can serve as a potential target for interventions to improve adherence to antidiabetic medications and health related quality of life.