Patients opinion and adherence to antimalarials in lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

To obtain the opinion of patients with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus erythematosus about the use of antimalarials through questionnaires and to evaluate their adherence to medication. A cross-sectional study of patients treated with antimalarial medication for a period equal to or longer than 1 year attended between November 2012 and October 2014. A structured questionnaire with 12 questions was filled out. Among 300 patients examined, 92% (275) used medication regularly. Hydroxychloroquine was used by 55% (166) of patients, chloroquine by 25% (75), and 20% (59) reported using both medications at different moments. Most of the patients (221 or 74%) were using medication seven days a week and had taken it for a period longer than 5 years; 61% (182) considered the treatment good and said, 21% (63) said, 'It is good, but I'm afraid of taking it'. Most of the patients (70% or 211) did not report any adverse symptoms. Their main claim was related to blurred vision, which was solved by a refraction examination. Fear has been a factor that makes adherence to treatment difficult. Making patients aware of the importance of the treatment is strongly relevant because antimalarials are well tolerated.