Table 1. Reasons given for non-compliance by hypertensive patients presenting to the ambulatory section of the Emergency Medicine Division, University Hospital of the West Indies.

	Patients not currently taking meds	Patients taking meds	Total
Dosing convenience/distractions	(n = 19)	(n = 33)	(% of 52)
When you are at work	8	7	15 (28.8)
When the time to take them is between your meals	8	5	13 (25)
When you are busy at home	6	5	11 (21.2)
When you are travelling	6	5	11 (21.2)
When you are in a public place	3	8	11 (21.2)
When you take them more than once a day	7	3	10 (19.2)
When you are with family members	5	4	9 (17.3)
When you have other medications to take	6	3	9 (17.3)
When you come home late from work	3	5	8 (15.4)
When there is no one to remind you	3	2	5 (9.6)
Disease symptoms/drug dependence
When you do not have any symptoms	9	12	21 (40.4)
When you feel you do not need them	10	11	21 (40.4)
When you are afraid of becoming dependent on them	8	10	18 (34.6)
When you feel well	6	7	13 (25)
When you worry about taking them for the rest of your life	6	5	11 (21.2)
Adverse effects/cost
When they cause some side effects	9	12	21 (40.4)
If they make you want to urinate while away from home	10	11	21 (40.4)
When they cost a lot of money	3	10	13 (25)
When you are afraid they may affect your sexual performance	5	1	6 (11.5)
If they sometimes make you tired	3	3	6 (11.5)