The Benefits and Risks of Adherence to Medical Therapy

Noncompliance or nonadherence to prescribed medication is common. Reasons given by patients for not taking medications as include cost, adverse effects, perceived lack of effectiveness, all which are important factors in shared decision-making between health care providers and patients. It has been assumed that better compliance with therapy would mean control disease, prevention disease-associated impairment, cost savings, but these assumptions questionable. Although adherence some medications, including anti-tuberculosis drugs oral contraception, necessary it unclear whether many other improves outcomes. Patients who adhere almost any medication, placebo, have outcomes, benefits could be due healthy behaviors a marker. On the hand, treatments harmful increase harms. Efforts new may risky because newer limited safety data. We recommend practitioners use noncompliance an opportunity address problems identified patient, side benefits. also argue inadequate attention paid possible role drug manufacturers distorting information about causes, benefits, harms adherence.