DRUG COMPLIANCE

Compliance with drug therapy is a much neglected part of the science o f therapeutics. It is a particular problem with certain chronic diseas es, for example, hypertension and diabetes; and certain classes of the rapeutic agent, for example, anticoagulants and antiepileptics. Method s for the monitoring of compliance are discussed and it is concluded t hat the best available are either the electronic drug delivery system or chemical monitoring with a suitable long half-life compound. Until modern methods of measuring drug compliance are introduced, patients w ill suffer disability and even death. It should also be mandatory for controlled clinical trials of new therapeutic entities to include an a cceptable mechanism (or method) for the assessment of adherence to the protocol. If not, the results will be vitiated.