Drug compliance in patients treated with antibiotics in an ambulatory setting for respiratory tract infections
Kardas, P.
Pneumonologia i Alergologia Polska 67(9-10): 398-408
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0867-7077 PMID: 10808383 Document Number: 509662
Patient non-compliance is a phenomenon which leads to less effective and more expensive therapy, particularly in general practice conditions. One of the most common problem of out-patients care are respiratory infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of patient non-compliance among out-patients treated with short-time antibiotic for respiratory tract infections and to find factors associated with patient adherence. Two methods of compliance measurement were used: the questionnaire method and pill count. The study group consisted of 154 out-patients with respiratory infections. The pill count method revealed that 46.8% of patients did not take their antibiotics as prescribed, and only 9.7% stated that in inquiry. Patient compliance was associated with such factors as being married, subjective estimation of health state as lower then peers, present chronic diseases, present ischemic heart disease, subjective estimation of disease as "serious", localisation of infection in lower respiratory tract, dosage schedule, the number of drugs taken at examination > 2, the number of drugs doses taken at examination > 6 and the number of drugs taken longer then a week > 2. Age, gender, education and professional activity did not influence the level of compliance. The study points out usefulness of both inquiry and pill count method in revealing patient non-compliance in conditions of general practice.