Cuthbertson Lauren, Kowalewski Karolina, Edge Jennifer, Courtney Keith
1 Cumming School of Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, Foothills Campus, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
2 Alberta Health Services, Department of Psychiatry, Cummings School of Medicine, University of Calgary Rockyview General Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
J Correct Health Care. 2018 Jan;24(1):21-34. doi: 10.1177/1078345817745613. Epub 2017 Dec 25.
Effective medication delivery to inmates within correctional facilities is essential for managing symptoms, preventing relapse, slowing disease progression, and enabling recovery. Despite its importance, medication adherence in correctional facilities is poor. This mixed methods study explores the factors that affect medication adherence from the perspective of 20 inmates at a provincial remand center in Alberta, Canada. Themes describing factors that promote or hinder medication adherence emerged: patient-related factors (addiction, social support, insight into disease, and purpose of medications), health care provider-related factors (health care provider attributes and trust in physicians), and correctional setting factors. The findings of this study inform recommendations to improve medication adherence and disease management in correctional facilities.