drugs
Adherence to Drug Treatment
Introduction
Adherence is the degree to which a person takes prescribed drugs as directed. (See also Overview of Response to Drugs .) Adherence to (compliance with) drug treatment is important. However, only about half the people who leave a doctor's office with a prescription take the drug as directed. Among the many reasons people give for not adhering to drug treatment, forgetfulness is the most common. The key question then is: Why do people forget? Sometimes, the psychologic mechanism of denial is at work. Having a disorder causes concern, and having to take a drug is a constant reminder of the disorder. Or, something about the treatment, such as possible side effects, may greatly concern the person, resulting in a reluctance to follow the plan. Forgetting to take the drug Not understanding or misinterpreting the instructions Experiencing side effects (the treatment may be perceived as worse than the disorder) Finding the drug to taste or smell bad Finding restrictions while taking the drug to be inconvenient (for example, having to avoid sunlight, alcohol, or milk products) Having to take the drug very frequently or follow complicated instructions Denying the disorder (repressing the diagnosis or its significance) Believing that the drug cannot help or is not needed Mistakenly believing that the disorder has been sufficiently treated (for example, thinking an infection is over just because the fever disappears) Fearing dependence on the drug Worrying about the expense Not caring (being apathetic) about getting better Encountering obstacles (for example, having difficulty swallowing tablets or capsules, having problems opening bottles, or being unable to obtain the drug) Distrusting the health care practitioner 