Background Biological agents have changed the treatment of psoriasis, and are used for long-term treatment. For this reason adherence to the treatment is a marker of success.

Purpose To quantify the adherence of patients with psoriasis to treatment with biologicals (adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab)

Materials and Methods Retrospective observational study of psoriasis patients who were prescribed biologicals. Sex, age, type of biological agent, dose and adherence were examined. To calculate the adherence we used a record of prescriptions dispensed over a period of six months. We used the formula: % adherence = no. of units dispensed/no. of units theoretically needed ×100.

Results The sample included 62 patients, 45 males and 17 females with mean age of 50 years (range 12–81). 53.2% were using etanercept, 43.6% adalimumab and 3.2% infliximab. The adherence was high in the infliximab group (94%) and very similar in the other groups (etanercept 83.7%, adalimumab 87.4%). In the adalimumab cohort 11% had a reduced dose, in the etanercept group 9% had a reduced and 30% an increased dose. In all these groups the calculated adherence was quite similar.

Conclusions As described in the literature, adherence to biologicals was significantly higher compared with the adherence observed with other treatments for psoriasis. Infliximab had the highest rate, maybe because it is administered in hospital. There was no difference between adalimumab and etanercept. It is known that there is progressive loss of patient adherence to treatment, for this reason is important to focus the attention on this concept.

No conflict of interest.