drugs
Adherence to Drug Treatment
Children and adherence
Children are less likely than adults to take drugs as directed. In a study of children who had streptococcal infections and for whom a 10-day course of penicillin was prescribed, 56% were not taking the drug by the third day, 71% were not taking the drug by the sixth day, and 82% were not taking the drug by the ninth day. For children with chronic diseases such as type 1 diabetes or asthma, adherence is difficult to achieve because their treatment plan is complex and must be continued for a long time. Getting children to take drugs that do not taste good, seem frightening (such as eye drops or those that require a mask over the face), or require injections can also be difficult. Sometimes parents do not understand a doctor's instructions. Also, parents (and patients themselves) forget, on average, about half the information 15 minutes after meeting with a doctor. They remember the first third of the discussion best and remember more about diagnosis than about the details of treatment. That is why doctors try to keep the treatment plan simple and often provide written instructions. 