Patient Compliance- What's The Big Deal?

Being a Mum to a 16month old, I have spent much more time in a doctor's surgery over the past year than at any other point in my life. And, I have met my fair share of doctors.

By Alexandra Uprichard on Jan 25, 2009

Being a Mum to a 16month old, I have spent much more time in a doctor's surgery over the past year than at any other point in my life. And, I have met my fair share of doctors. It has really got me thinking about the whole issue of patient compliance. When I first started working in the pharma arena I couldn't believe that this was such a huge area. 'What's the big deal?' I thought, 'People either follow instructions or they don't.' Then I began to understand the underlying issues and outcomes, and realised just how integral it is not just to the pharma industry, but also the health of the nation.

I understand that in long term or degenerative illnesses new media can be a fantastic way of comparing notes and communicating advise to ensure patients are receiving their medication in the right way.

However, when it comes to most family's everyday needs, we don't need a social networking site to discuss the pros and cons of different drugs, we don't need mobile alerts to tell us when to take certain prescribed medicines. What we need is clear, concise advise from the doctor and that's actually not all that common.

Many a time I have been rushed out of a doctor's office, struggling to carry an irritated, ill baby, picked up my bottle of antibiotics and thought, 'hang on? does he take the whole course? or was it just three days?' I have even been written prescriptions that a pharmacist has debated the contents of with me, and been given conflicting application advise from a doctor and a pharmacist.

Now, I'm not stupid, I can read the instructions on a bottle, and if I'm not sure I will double check. BUT, there is an arguement that the average, busy person who has not had the correct dosing/ course properly discussed with him by the doctor, will make assumptions which lead to incorrect administration and ultimately another trip back a month or so later.

In my experience at least, a doctor who takes the time to talk through the prescription properly, rather than bundling me out whilst shoving a piece of paper in my hand, would be a welcome change. I am convinced that if this element of a trip to the surgery was given as much doctor attention as the symptom discussion and diagnosis, compliance at this level would be vastly improved