OBJECTIVES: To evaluate medication adherence (MA) and quality of life of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in Bulgaria and the determinants that influence MA.

METHODS: A pilot, cross-sectional, and prospective study among 18 patients with MS treated at the Clinic of Neurology in University Hospital Alexandrovska, Sofia, Bulgaria was initiated in April 2022. A questionnaire about patients’ demographic, clinical characteristics, and standardized instruments (EQ-5D, VAS and Morisky test) to evaluate quality of life and to assess patient’s MA were applied. Results were processed through statistical analysis using MedCalc software version 16.4.1.

RESULTS: This pilot study included 18 MS patients as most were female (72.2%, p=0,0593) and prevailed those in the age group 30-40 years (50,0 %). The median years lived with MS were 5.5 (p=0.0113). More than 80% of the observed patients were employed (p=0.0155) and around 44% were with reduced work capacity. The largest was the number of patients treated with injectables 61,1 % (p=0.0155), 50 % were treated with interferons, 38,9 % - immunosuppressants and 11,1 % - immunomodulators (p=0.1146). The median values for quality of life were 80 [95% CI 60-90, VAS-score] and 0,84 [95% CI 0.7359-1.00, EQ-5D test] and they were similar among different genders, age groups, MA level or types of therapy. High level of adherence was reported by 61,1 % of the patients (p=0.0302). At a sample level the odds for being adherent were 1.2 higher in women than in men [OR=1.1667 95% CI 0.0742-18.3469, p=0.9127] and 2 times higher in case of shorter duration of MS [OR=2.00 95% CI 0.09019-44.353, p=0.6611].

CONCLUSIONS: At this stage of the study, we can conclude that MA among MS patients is high and depends on the duration of disease and gender. However, these hypotheses should be further confirmed by collecting more data.