When a clinically heterogeneous group of patients suffer with arthritis of unknown cause, with more than six weeks’ duration that starts up to 16 years old, it is said to be considered as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The results of this result lead to the identification and understanding of different aspects related to the current scenario of adherence to pharmacological treatment for JIA.

The aim of this present study was to investigate the pharmacological treatment adherence of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, attended in an outpatient pharmacy at a tertiary hospital in northeastern Brazil.

The analysis of adherence was performed along with caregivers, through a structured questionnaire based on Morisky, Green and Levine, which enabled the categorization of adherence in “highest”, “moderate” or “low” grades, and through evaluating medication dispensing registers, which classified the act of getting medications at the pharmacy as “regular” or “irregular”. Drug Related Problems (DRP) were identified through the narrative of caregivers and classified according to the Second Granada Consensus. Then, a pharmaceutical orientation chart with information about the therapeutic regimen was applied, in order to function as a guide for issues that influenced adherence.

A total of 43 patients was included, with a mean age of 11.12 years, and 65.1% (n = 28) were female. Applying the questionnaire, it was found “highest” adherence in 46.5% (n = 20) patients, “moderate” adherence in 48.8% (n = 21), and “low” adherence in 4.7% (n = 2). Through an analysis of the medication dispensing registers, a lower level of adherence was observed: only 25.6% (n = 11) of the participants received “regularly” the medications. Twenty-six DRP was identified, and 84.6% (n = 22) were classified as real. There were no significant associations between socio-demographic variables and adherence, although some caregivers have reported difficulty in accessing the medicines and in understanding the treatment.

Our findings showed problems in the adherence process related to inattention, forgetfulness and irregularity in getting medicines, reinforcing the need for the development of strategies to facilitate a better understanding of treatment and to ensure adherence.