Browsing by Author "Šmits, Dins"
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Item Adherence Level to Arterial Hypertension Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Patient Survey and Retrospective Analysis of the NHS Prescription Database(2021-08-23) Gavrilova, Anna; Bandere, Dace; Logviss, Konstantīns; Šmits, Dins; Urtāne, Inga; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry; Red Cross Medical College of Rīga Stradiņš University; Department of Applied Pharmacy; Department of Public Health and EpidemiologyOne of the major problems in cardiology practice is poor adherence to antihypertensive medication. This study aimed to evaluate medication adherence; we also aim to investigate the predictors of intentional and unintentional non-adherence. We issued a survey containing questions about patient demographics, blood pressure control, pharmaceutical care, and adherence level to medication. Retrospective analysis of the prescription database of the National Health Service of the Republic of Latvia was performed. The prevalence of non-adherence was 45.9%. The lowest adherence rate (38.2%) was found among patients taking medication for 2–4.9 years. Even though 84.7% of respondents had a blood pressure monitor at home, only 25.3% of them reported measuring blood pressure regularly. There were differences between the groups of adherent patients in terms of the patients’ net income (p = 0.004), medication co-payments (p = 0.007), and whether the pharmacist offered to reduce the costs of drug therapy (p = 0.002). Roughly half of the prescriptions (50.4%) containing perindopril were purchased by patients from pharmacies. The medication adherence level and blood pressure control at home were assessed as low. Intentionally non-adherent respondents discontinued their medication because of fear of getting used to medicines. The pharmacists’ behaviour in terms of offering to reduce the costs of medications used was influenced by socio-economic factors.Item Epidemiology of Suicide Mortality in Paraguay from 2005 to 2019 : A Descriptive Study(2024-03) Santacruz, Ethel; Duarte-Zoilan, Derlis; Benitez Rolandi, Gilda; Cañete, Felicia; Šmits, Dins; Barengo, Noël; Sequera, Guillermo; Faculty of MedicineSuicide is an important public health problem, fundamentally affecting the younger population and responding to multiple biological, psychological, and social causes. The objective of this study was to characterize changes in suicide mortality, suicide methods, and years of potential life lost from 2005 to 2019 in Paraguay. This observational, descriptive study used data from the Vital Statistics Information Subsystem of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare. The average mortality rate from suicide was 4.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, with an increase from 4.2 between 2005 and 2009 to 5.8 from 2014 to 2019. Suicide was more common in men (75%) than in women. In men, the highest mortality rate was observed among those 20–24 years old, whereas in women, the ages most affected were the 15–19-year-old age group. The most-used method for suicide was hanging. The most frequent place of suicide occurrence was at home (73%). The seasonality of suicide occurrence showed a slight increase in the spring–summer months compared with autumn–winter (53% vs. 47%). The rate of potential years of life lost statistically significantly increased from 2005 to 2019. Public health measures need to be implemented to investigate the underlying reasons and implement interventions in the population to decrease suicide mortality in Paraguay.Item Knowledge about Disease, Medication Therapy, and Related Medication Adherence Levels among Patients with Hypertension(2019-10-28) Gavrilova, Anna; Bandere, Dace; Rutkovska, Ieva; Šmits, Dins; Mauriņa, Baiba; Poplavska, Elita; Urtāne, Inga; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry; Department of Applied Pharmacy; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology; Institute of Public HealthBackground and Objectives: A particular problem in cardiology is poor adherence to pharmacological treatment among patients with hypertension. It is known that approximately half of these patients do not use their medications as prescribed by their doctor. Patients may choose not to follow the doctor's recommendations and regularly do not control their blood pressure, owing to many factors. A convenient method for measuring the level of adherence is the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, which also provides insight into possible remedies for low adherence. We investigated their therapy, knowledge about the disease and its control, and demographic differences to assess the adherence of patients with hypertension. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study. Data were collected through a survey of 12 pharmacies in Latvia. The study involved 187 participants with hypertension. Results: The prevalence of non-adherence was 46.20% in Latvia. The oldest patients were the most adherent (p = 0.001, β = 0.27). The higher the self-rated extent from 0 to 10, to which the patient takes their antihypertensives exactly as instructed by their physician, the higher the level of adherence (p < 0.0001, β = 0.38), where at "0", the patient does not follow physician instructions at all, and at "10", the patient completely follows the physician's instructions. Non-adherent patients tend to assess their medication-taking behavior more critically than adherent patients. The longer the patient is known to suffer from hypertension, the more adherent he or she is (p = 0.014, β = 0.19). Conclusions: Medication non-adherence among patients with hypertension is high in Latvia. Further investigations are needed to better understand the reasons for this and to establish interventions for improving patient outcomes.Item Latvijas astmas pacientu izpildes līdzestība ārstēšanai un ar to saistītie faktori. Promocijas darba kopsavilkums(Rīgas Stradiņa universitāte, 2018) Šmits, Dins; Briģis, ĢirtsIevads. Viens no galvenajiem bronhiālās astmas nepietiekamas kontroles iemesliem ir pacientu līdzestības ārstēšanai trūkums. Pacientu uzskatu par bronhiālās astmas terapiju, pacientu kognitīvo un emocionālo sava veselības stāvokļa uztveres līmeņa novērtēšana var palīdzēt identificēt pacientus ar vāju izpildes līdzestību terapijai klīniskajā praksē. Tas ļautu pievērst papildu uzmanību šādiem pacientiem un palielināt varbūtību, ka pacienti regulāri lieto viņiem nozīmētos bronhiālās astmas medikamentus. Mērķis. Pētījuma pamatmērķis bija izzināt, vai pastāv sakarība starp pacientu uzskatiem par bronhiālās astmas terapiju, viņu kognitīvo un emocionālo uztveri par slimību un bronhiālās astmas terapiju un kontroli Latvijas astmas pacientu 2015. gada iztvēruma grupā. Papildu mērķis bija novērtēt, vai izpildes līdzestības prognozēšanā plašāk lietotās pacientu aptaujas anketas var lietot astmas kontroles un terapijas prognozēm. Metodes. Šī šķērsgriezuma pētījuma pacientu populācija ietver bronhiālās astmas pacientus (n = 352), kas ambulatori ārstējās pneimonologu prakses vietās Latvijā, laikā no 2013. gada septembra līdz 2015. gada decembrim. Pacientu uzskatus attiecībā uz bronhiālās astmas terapiju, kā arī sava bronhiālās astmas stāvokļa kognitīvo un emocionālo uztveri noteica šķērsgriezuma pētījumā, pacientiem atbildot uz aptauju jautājumiem, ambulatorās pneimonologu prakses vietās Latvijā. Astmas kontroles pakāpe tika noteikta, izmantojot astmas kontroles testu (Asthma Control Test, ACT), kas ir validēta piecu punktu skala, ar kuras palīdzību ticami var novērtēt astmas kontroli četru nedēļu novērojuma periodā. Uzskatus par ārstēšanu un kognitīvo un emocionālo slimības uztveri noteica, izmantojot validētu aptaujas anketu Uzskati par ārstēšanu (Beliefs about Medications Questionnaire, BMQ) un validētu Īso aptauju par kognitīvo un emocionālo slimības uztveri (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, IPQ). Izpildes līdzestību bronhiālās astmas terapijai noteica, izmantojot Moriski līdzestības ārstēšanai skalu (Morisky 8-Item Medication Adherence Questionnaire, MMAS), ka arī Līdzestības ārstēšanai pārskata skalas (Medication Adherence Report Scale, MARS) divas dažādas versijas. Bronhiālās astmas ārstēšanas sliktas izpildes līdzestības prognozēšanai tika izmantota loģistiskās regresijas analīze. Rezultāti. Pacientiem, kuri uzskatīja, ka viņiem ir pietiekama kontrole pār savu slimību (OR 0,70; 95% CI 0,61–0,79) un, kuri bija pārliecināti, ka bronhiālās astmas terapija uzlabo viņu slimības stāvokli (OR 0,84; 95% CI 0,74–0,95), bija mazāks astmas sliktas kontroles risks. Jo vairāk klīnisko simptomu (OR 1,63; 95% CI 1,44–1,84) bronhiālās astmas pacienti sev saskatīja un jo vairāk slimība ietekmēja viņu dzīvi, jo lielāka bija astmas sliktas kontroles varbūtība (OR 1,47; 95% CI 1,31–1,65). Saskaņā ar Moriski skalu daži jautājumi par medikamentu nepieciešamību un bažas par to lietošanu ļauj prognozēt sliktu izpildes līdzestību. Ja pacientam bija sajūta, ka bez bronhiālās astmas terapijas viņa dzīve nebūs iespējama, sliktas izpildes līdzestības risks samazinājās par 46% (OR 0,54; 95% ticamības intervāls (CI) 0,33–0,89). Turklāt bronhiālās astmas pacientiem, kuri bija pārliecināti par savas veselības atkarību no bronhiālās astmas terapijas, bija mazāka varbūtība būt nelīdzestīgiem ārstēšanai (OR 0,56: 95% CI 0,32–0,97). Gadījumā, ja pacients bažījās par nepieciešamību pastāvīgi lietot bronhiālās astmas medikamentus vai pacientam dažreiz bija bažas par astmas medikamentu iedarbību ilgākā laika periodā, varbūtība, ka šiem pacientiem būs slikta izpildes līdzestība bija attiecīgi 1,96 (95% CI 1,19–3,24) un 2,43 (95% CI 1,45–4,08). Secinājumi. Pacientu uzskati par ārstēšanu, it īpaši bažas un vajadzības sajūta par nepieciešamību ārstēt bronhiālo astmu, uzrādīja saistību ar pacienta sliktu izpildes līdzestību, to nosakot pēc Morisky skalas vai pēc 5 punktu MARS skalas. Kā piemērotas Latvijas bronhiālās astmas pacientu populācijā rekomendējam izmantot gan MMAS skalu, gan MARS 5 punktu skalu, lai identificētu astmas pacientus ar sliktu izpildes līdzestību ārstēšanai. Šobrīd pieejamās pacientu aptaujas anketas, ar kurām nosaka pacientu uzskatus par nepieciešamību ārstēties (Beliefs about Medications Questionnaire, BMQ), kā arī kognitīvo un emocionālo savas slimības uztveri (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, IPQ), var praktiski lietot, ja nepieciešams identificēt slikti kontrolētas bronhiālās astmas pacientus. Pacientu aptaujas anketas atbilstoši tajos ietverto jautājumu saturam var palīdzēt ārstam identificēt bronhiālās astmas sliktas kontroles iemeslus un tā rezultātā apsvērt pacientam piemērotāku ārstēšanu, kas tam labāk varētu palīdzēt sasniegt slimības kontroli. Noderīgi būtu ikdienas klīniskajā praksē Latvijas veselības aprūpes sistēmā bronhiālās astmas ārstēšanā ieviest pacientu uzskatu, kognitīvās un emocionālās uztveres mērījumus, tādējādi uzlabojot ārstēšanas rekomendāciju izpildes līdzestību un ārstēšanas rezultātus un slimības kontroli šajā slimnieku populācijas grupā.Item National 30-Day Readmission Trends in IBD 2014-2020 - Are We Aiming for Improvement?(2024-08-13) Teterina, Irēna; Mirzajanova, Veronika; Mokricka, Viktorija; Zolovs, Maksims; Šmits, Dins; Pokrotnieks, Juris; Department of Pharmacology; Statistics Unit; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology; Department of Internal DiseasesBackground: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) prevalence in Eastern Europe is increasing. The 30-day readmission rate is a crucial quality metric in healthcare, reflecting the effectiveness of initial treatment and the continuity of care post-discharge; however, such parameters are rarely analyzed. The aim of this study was to explore the trends in 30-day readmissions among patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Latvia between 2014 and 2020. Methods: This is a retrospective trends study in IBD-ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease (UC and CD)-patients in Latvia between 2014 and 2020, involving all IBD patients identified in the National Health service database in the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD) classification (K50.X and K51.X) and having at least one prescription for IBD diagnoses. We assessed all IBD-related hospitalizations (discharge ICD codes K50X and K51X), as well as hospitalizations potentially related to IBD comorbidities. We analyzed hospitalization trends and obtained the 30 day all-cause readmission rate, disease specific readmission rate and readmission proportion for specific calendar years. Trends in readmissions and the mean length of stay (LOS) for CD and UC were calculated. Results: Despite a decrease in admission rates observed in 2020, the total number of readmissions for CD and UC has increased. Female patients prevailed through the study period and were significantly older than male patients in both the CD and UC groups, p < 0.05. We noted that there was no trend for 30 day all-cause readmission rate for CD ( p > 0.05); however, there was a statistically significant trend for 30 day all-cause readmission for UC patients ( p-trend = 0.018) in the period from 2014 to 2019. There was a statistically significant trend for CD-specific readmission rate ( p < 0.05); however, no statistically significant trend was observed for UC-specific readmission ( p > 0.05). An exploratory analysis did not reveal any statistically significant differences between treated and not-treated IBD patients ( p > 0.05). The increasing trend is statistically significant over the period 2014-2018 ( p < 0.05); however, the trend interrupts in 2020, which can be associated with the COVID-19 global pandemic and the related changes in admission flows where the gastroenterology capacity was reallocated to accommodate increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients. More studies are needed to evaluate the long-term impact of COVID-19 pandemic and 30-day readmissions. No significant dynamics were observed in the mean total hospitalization costs over the 2014-2020 period.Item Pašpalīdzības un pašvadības iespēju arsenāls krīzes un transformāciju laikā: metodes ikvienam(Rīgas Stradiņa universitāte, 2021) Mārtinsone, Kristīne; Šmits, Dins; Mihailovs, Ivans Jānis; Mārtinsone, Aleksandra; Ruža, Aleksejs; Vanadziņš, Ivars; Jansone-Ratinika, Nora; Kukle, Gundega; Lietaviete, Inese; Brice, Marina; Majore-Dūšele, Indra; Paiča, Inese; Silkāne, Vineta; Zemvaldis, Edijs; Akmane, Elīna; Paupere, Ilva; Paičs, IndulisMūsdienu krīzes un transformāciju laikā ir būtiski mainījusies katra cilvēka ikdiena, ietekmējot psihisko un fizisko veselību. Lai palīdzētu jaunu resursu un iespēju meklējumos, veicinātu iesaistīšanos savas un līdzcilvēku psihoemocionālās labklājības nodrošināšanā, šajā izdevumā ir piedāvāti daudzi noderīgi praktiskie risinājumi pašpalīdzībai un pašvadībai. Izdevuma saturu veido speciālistu apkopotas teorētiskās atziņas un ieteikumi. Tas būs noderīgs gan studentiem, gan dažādu nozaru speciālistiem, kuri pārstāv palīdzošās un izglītojošās profesijas, gan ikvienam interesentam, kurš meklē atbalstu un iedvesmu ikdienas dzīves līdzsvara uzlabošanai.Item Public-private partnership role during the pandemic : A case of COVID-19 testing in the Republic of Latvia 2020(2023-08) Kaļva, Artūrs; Brigis, Girts; Kruks, Sergejs; Šmits, Dins; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology; Komunikācijas fakultāteThe novelty of this research includes public-private partnerships (PPP) in emergency situations, especially during a pandemic, where there are only a few researched topics. The goal of this study is to answer the following research question: What is the role of PPP in achieving quick and effective COVID-19 testing during a new pandemic in a small country? The methods of this paper are based on a case study approach. In the beginning, a related literature review was done (keywords: public-private partnerships in COVID-19, testing of the COVID-19, health systems during the pandemic). The second step contains data collection about COVID19 in Latvia (2020). Finally, an analysis of the case and data was performed with the conclusion in the result. Results: The average number of tests in 2020 was 2355.99 (interval: 4.00–12,091.00) per day and 2141.73 (interval: 7.67–7365.77) per month. The private sector conducted around 95.78% per month to check COVID19 infection. Conclusion: The PPP role of COVID-19 testing during a pandemic in small countries contains extra resources for rapid and previously not established process organization that allows governments and the public sector to pay attention to other important questions. As a result, collaboration can decrease infection prevalence and mortality.Item Role of a National Health Service Electronic Prescriptions Database in the Detection of Prescribing and Dispensing Issues and Adherence Evaluation of Direct Oral Anticoagulants(2024-05-09) Gavrilova, Anna; Zolovs, Maksims; Šmits, Dins; Ņikitina, Anastasija; Latkovskis, Gustavs; Urtāne, Inga; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry; Statistics Unit; Department of Public Health and EpidemiologyBackground: Anticoagulation therapy plays a crucial role in the management of atrial fibrillation (AF) by significantly reducing the risk of stroke. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) became preferred over warfarin due to their superior safety and efficacy profile. Assessing adherence to anticoagulation therapy is necessary in clinical practice for optimising patient outcomes and treatment efficacy, thus emphasising its significance. Methods: A retrospective study utilised the Latvian National Health Service reimbursement prescriptions database, covering prescriptions for AF and flutter from January 2012 to December 2022. The proportion of days covered method was selected for adherence assessment, categorising it into three groups: (1) below 80%, (2) between 80% and 90%, and (3) above 90%. Results: A total of 1,646,648 prescriptions were analysed. Dabigatran prescriptions started declining after 2020, coinciding with a decrease in warfarin prescriptions since 2018. The total adherence levels to DOAC therapy were 69.4%. Only 44.2% of users achieved an adherence level exceeding 80%. The rate of paper prescriptions decreased from 98.5% in 2017 to 1.3% in 2022. Additionally, the utilisation of international non-proprietary names reached 79.7% in 2022. Specifically, 16.7% of patients selected a single pharmacy, whereas 27.7% visited one or two pharmacies. Meanwhile, other patients obtained medicines from multiple pharmacies. Conclusions: The total adherence level to DOAC therapy is evaluated as low and there was no significant difference in age, gender, or “switcher” status among adherence groups. Physicians’ prescribing habits have changed over a decade.Item TESTING FOR COVID-19 IN LATVIA : ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC–PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS(2024-02-01) Kaļva, Arturs; Orlovs, Dāvids; Briģis, Ģirts; Kruks, Sergejs; Šmits, Dins; Department of Public Health and Epidemiology; Faculty of Social Sciences; Komunikācijas studiju katedraPrivate–public partnership is a collaboration between two major sectors of a municipalities economy. It is a so called “win-win” partnership, where both parties can benefit in achieving their planned goals while working jointly. In December 2019, in China, the first reported cases of COVID-19 were detected. The virus spread quickly throughout China and reached Latvia in March 2020. In this study we analyse the role of private–public partnerships in organising effective COVID-19 testing of the population in Latvia. By 1 June 2020, Latvia had the 3rd lowest incidence of COVID-19-caused deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. This study included a systematic review, data acquisition, analysis of the findings, and conclusions were drawn and discussed. During the 1st wave of the pandemic, the private sector collected and conducted more than 95% of the COVID-19 testing in Latvia. The study showed that there could be many contributing factors to success of Latvia during the 1st wave of the pandemic, one of which was that Latvia seemed to rely more on the private sector to organise the testing, which seemed to pay off at first.Item Treatment Adherence of Asthma Patients in Latvia and Factors Related to Adherence. Doctoral Thesis(Rīga Stradiņš University, 2018) Šmits, Dins; Briģis, ĢirtsIntroduction: the problem of nonadherence to the therapy is one of the main reasons of insufficient asthma control. Evaluating the beliefs about asthma medication, cognitive and emotional perceptions may help to identify patients with poor adherence to treatment in clinical practice in order to provide additional attention in order to increase the likelihood to take their asthma medication regularly. Objective: the general objective of this study was to find out whether beliefs about asthma medication, cognitive and emotional factors are associated with asthma treatment and control in a sample of Latvian asthma patients in 2015. In addition, we wanted to assess whether the most commonly used questionnaires predicting treatment adherence can predict asthma control and treatment adherence. Methods: the study population of this cross-sectional patient survey consisted of asthma patients (n = 352) attending outpatient pulmonologist consultations in Latvia during September 2013 to December 2015. Beliefs about asthma medicine, cognitive and emotional factors related to asthma were determined in a cross-sectional survey of patients attending outpatient pulmonologist practices in Latvia. Level of asthma control were assessed using the Asthma control test (ACT), a validated five-item scale that reliably assesses asthma control over a recall period of four weeks. Beliefs about medication, cognitive and emotional factors was assessed using The validated Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (brief IPQ). Adherence to asthma medication was assessed using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) and two different versions of the Medication Adherence Reporting Scale (MARS). Logistic regression models were used to predict poor adherence to asthma treatment. Results: patients who had a good control of asthma medication (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.61–0.79) or were confident that their asthma medication improves illness (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.74–0.95) had a reduced risk of poor asthma control. The more symptoms (OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.44–1.84) asthma patients perceived or the more their illness affected their life, the higher the probability of poor asthma control (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.31–1.65). Several questions about necessity or concerns related to pharmaceutical treatment were able to predict poor adherence according to the Morisky scale. If the patient felt that without the asthma medication his life would be impossible, his risk to have poor treatment adherence was 46% reduced (OR 0.54; 95% Confidence interval (CI) 0.33–0.89). Furthermore, asthma patients who were convinced that their health depends on asthma treatment were less likely to have poor treatment adherence (OR 0.56: 95% CI 0.32–0.97). In case the patient was concerned by the need to constantly use asthma medication or sometimes concerned by long term effects of asthma medication the odds of poor treatment adherence were 1.96 (95% CI 1.19–3.24) and 2.43 (95% CI 1.45–4.08), respectively. Conclusions: medication beliefs, particularly concerns and necessity of asthma treatment were associated with poor treatment adherence when assessed with the Morisky or 5-item MARS scale. We recommend using either the MMAS or the 5-item MARS scale in Latvian asthma patients to identify patients with poor treatment adherence. Existing questionnaires assessing beliefs of medication necessity (Beliefs about Medications Questionnaire, BMQ), cognitive or emotional illness perception (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, IPQ) may be used to identify patients with poor asthma control, in order to help to identify problems of poor control and offering better treatment solutions. Thus, it may be worthwhile to assess routinely the concerns and necessity of asthma medication in patients within the Latvian health-care system to improve treatment adherence in that vulnerable population group to improve treatment outcomes and disease control.Item Treatment Adherence of Asthma Patients in Latvia and Factors Related to Adherence. Summary of the Doctoral Thesis(Rīga Stradiņš University, 2018) Šmits, Dins; Briģis, ĢirtsIntroduction: the problem of nonadherence to the therapy is one of the main reasons of insufficient asthma control. Evaluating the beliefs about asthma medication, cognitive and emotional perceptions may help to identify patients with poor adherence to treatment in clinical practice in order to provide additional attention in order to increase the likelihood to take their asthma medication regularly. Objective: the general objective of this study was to find out whether beliefs about asthma medication, cognitive and emotional factors are associated with asthma treatment and control in a sample of Latvian asthma patients in 2015. In addition, we wanted to assess whether the most commonly used questionnaires predicting treatment adherence can predict asthma control and treatment adherence. Methods: the study population of this cross-sectional patient survey consisted of asthma patients (n = 352) attending outpatient pulmonologist consultations in Latvia during September 2013 to December 2015. Beliefs about asthma medicine, cognitive and emotional factors related to asthma were determined in a cross-sectional survey of patients attending outpatient pulmonologist practices in Latvia. Level of asthma control were assessed using the Asthma control test (ACT), a validated five-item scale that reliably assesses asthma control over a recall period of four weeks. Beliefs about medication, cognitive and emotional factors was assessed using The validated Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (brief IPQ). Adherence to asthma medication was assessed using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS) and two different versions of the Medication Adherence Reporting Scale (MARS). Logistic regression models were used to predict poor adherence to asthma treatment. Results: patients who had a good control of asthma medication (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.61–0.79) or were confident that their asthma medication improves illness (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.74–0.95) had a reduced risk of poor asthma control. The more symptoms (OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.44–1.84) asthma patients perceived or the more their illness affected their life, the higher the probability of poor asthma control (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.31–1.65). Several questions about necessity or concerns related to pharmaceutical treatment were able to predict poor adherence according to the Morisky scale. If the patient felt that without the asthma medication his life would be impossible, his risk to have poor treatment adherence was 46% reduced (OR 0.54; 95% Confidence interval (CI) 0.33–0.89). Furthermore, asthma patients who were convinced that their health depends on asthma treatment were less likely to have poor treatment adherence (OR 0.56: 95% CI 0.32–0.97). In case the patient was concerned by the need to constantly use asthma medication or sometimes concerned by long term effects of asthma medication the odds of poor treatment adherence were 1.96 (95% CI 1.19–3.24) and 2.43 (95% CI 1.45–4.08), respectively. Conclusions: medication beliefs, particularly concerns and necessity of asthma treatment were associated with poor treatment adherence when assessed with the Morisky or 5-item MARS scale. We recommend using either the MMAS or the 5-item MARS scale in Latvian asthma patients to identify patients with poor treatment adherence. Existing questionnaires assessing beliefs of medication necessity (Beliefs about Medications Questionnaire, BMQ), cognitive or emotional illness perception (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, IPQ) may be used to identify patients with poor asthma control, in order to help to identify problems of poor control and offering better treatment solutions. Thus, it may be worthwhile to assess routinely the concerns and necessity of asthma medication in patients within the Latvian health-care system to improve treatment adherence in that vulnerable population group to improve treatment outcomes and disease control.