Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners logoLink to The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
. 1979 Jul;29(204):399, 402-404.

Improving drug compliance in general practice

J M Graham, D A Suppree
PMCID: PMC2159242  PMID: 522045

Abstract

Patients of all ages make serious mistakes with their medicines, especially if several are prescribed at once.

Taking medicines involves a great deal of physical and mental work. The best way to help patients take medicines accurately is to reduce this work by packing together all tablets taken at the same time of day. Many elderly patients have relatives who could pack their medicines in this manner.

Full text

PDF
399

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Blackwell B. The drug defaulter. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1972 Nov-Dec;13(6):841–848. doi: 10.1002/cpt1972135part2841. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blackwell B. Treatment adherence in hypertension. Am J Pharm Sci Support Public Health. 1976 May-Jun;148(3):75–85. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Charney E., Bynum R., Eldredge D., Frank D., MacWhinney J. B., McNabb N., Scheiner A., Sumpter E. A., Iker H. How well do patients take oral penicillin? A collaborative study in private practice. Pediatrics. 1967 Aug;40(2):188–195. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Compliance with contraceptive regimens. Stud Fam Plann. 1974 Nov;5(11):349–355. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Drury V. W., Wade O. L., Woolf E. Following advice in general practice. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1976 Oct;26(171):712–718. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gatley M. S. To be taken as directed. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1968 Jul;16(1):39–44. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hulka B. S., Kupper L. L., Cassel J. C., Efird R. L. Medication use and misuse: physician-patient discrepancies. J Chronic Dis. 1975 Jan;28(1):7–21. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(75)90045-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kincey J., Bradshaw P., Ley P. Patients' satisfaction and reported acceptance of advice in general practice. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1975 Aug;25(157):558–566. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Klaber M. Aid to drug compliance. Br Med J. 1978 Feb 4;1(6108):302–303. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6108.302-d. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ley P., Jain V. K., Skilbeck C. E. A method for decreasing patients' medication errors. Psychol Med. 1976 Nov;6(4):599–601. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700018237. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Liberman P., Swartz A. J. Prescription dispensing to the problem patient. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1972 Feb;29(2):163–166. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. MacDonald E. T., MacDonald J. B., Phoenix M. Improving drug compliance after hospital discharge. Br Med J. 1977 Sep 3;2(6087):618–621. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6087.618. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Malahy B. The effect of instruction and labeling on the number of medication errors made by patients at home. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1966 Jun;23(6):283–292. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mattar M. E., Yaffe S. J. Compliance of pediatric patients with therapeutic regimens. Postgrad Med. 1974 Nov;56(6):181-5, 188. doi: 10.1080/00325481.1974.11713914. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. McKenney J. M., Slining J. M., Henderson H. R., Devins D., Barr M. The effect of clinical pharmacy services on patients with essential hypertension. Circulation. 1973 Nov;48(5):1104–1111. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.48.5.1104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Moulding T., Onstad G. D., Sbarbaro J. A. Supervision of outpatient drug therapy with the medication monitor. Ann Intern Med. 1970 Oct;73(4):559–564. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-73-4-559. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Paasikivi J. Dosett-hjälpmedel vid AP-behandling. Försök till statistisk värdering. Nord Med. 1971 Aug 19;86(33):982–983. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Parkin D. M., Henney C. R., Quirk J., Crooks J. Deviation from prescribed drug treatment after discharge from hospital. Br Med J. 1976 Sep 18;2(6037):686–688. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6037.686. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Porter A. M. Drug defaulting in a general practice. Br Med J. 1969 Jan 25;1(5638):218–222. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5638.218. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. SCHWARTZ D., WANG M., ZEITZ L., GOSS M. E. Medication errors made by elderly, chronically ill patients. Am J Public Health Nations Health. 1962 Dec;52:2018–2029. doi: 10.2105/ajph.52.12.2018. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sackett D. L., Haynes R. B., Gibson E. S., Hackett B. C., Taylor D. W., Roberts R. S., Johnson A. L. Randomised clinical trial of strategies for improving medication compliance in primary hypertension. Lancet. 1975 May 31;1(7918):1205–1207. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(75)92192-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Sharpe T. R., Mikeal R. L. Patient compliance with antibiotic regimens. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1974 May;31(5):479–484. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Skaggs C. O. Letter: Unit dose packaging for small-volume oral liquids. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1976 Jun;33(6):526–526. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Wandless I., Davie J. W. Can drug compliance in the elderly be improved? Br Med J. 1977 Feb 5;1(6057):359–361. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6057.359. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Wilber J. A., Barrow J. G. Reducing elevated blood pressure. Experience found in a community. Minn Med. 1969 Aug;52(8):1303–1306. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners are provided here courtesy of Royal College of General Practitioners

RESOURCES