We attempted to assess compliance using both a pharmacologic indicator (low-dose phenobarbital) and a return tablet count in 225 patients who were taking part in three separate studies. There were 216 patients (96%) who kept a follow-up appointment after 28 days; 161 patients appeared to have good compliance (90% to 109%) by return tablet count. Of these 161 patients, 51 (32%) had plasma phenobarbital concentrations (corrected for dose and weight) that were less than 90% of the lowest value previously found in normal volunteers, which suggested poorer compliance. When compared with the age-related volunteer values, 77 (48%) had values that were less than 90% of the lowest volunteer value. There were 6 of 10 patients with apparently excessive (greater than or equal to 110%) compliance by return tablet count and 4 of 12 who failed to return their container who also had phenobarbital concentrations that were less than 90% of the lowest volunteer value. We concluded that return tablet count grossly overestimates compliance.
Measurement of patient compliance is essential if management of low compliance is to be performed efficiently. We assessed the value of several easily obtained clinical assessme...
The evaluation of the efficacy of medication is confounded when patients do not adhere to prescribed regimens. Overdosing, underdosing, and erratic dosing intervals can diminish...
To evaluate pill counts as a compliance measure for drug trials, we followed 121 ambulatory hypertensives selected for good compliance over less than or equal to 12 months. The ...
Although the rate of evaluation of compliance in drug trials has improved over the past 25 years, it continues to be examined in less than half of the clinical studies of drug e...
High plasma HIV-1 RNA concentrations are associated with increased risk of HIV-1 transmission. Initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces plasma HIV-1 concentrations. We...
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