Medication adherence to hormone therapy in breast cancer survivors

Our speaker was Yolanda Eraso, a Professor of Health Studies at London Metropolitan University.

Hormone therapy medication is prescribed to women with breast cancer for up to ten years to reduce their risk of recurrence and mortality. Non-adherence to hormone therapy drugs is common, with up to 50% of women not taking the medication as prescribed. This seminar addressed medication-taking behaviours in women prescribed hormonal therapy. At first, we discussed factors associated with non-adherence and persistence in women prescribed medication for ten years. Drawing on previous research findings from mixed-methods and qualitative studies, the seminar explored a particular underresearched phenomenon: medication brand changes, its relation to adherence and medication-taking behaviours, and its potential as a modifiable factor.