Management of steroid reducing regimens by patients

Abstract

AbstractPatient management of solid oral dosage steroid reducing courses was studied over a 20-week period at North Tees General hospital. Seventy-five eligible patients were identified, of whom 57 were recruited and subsequently interviewed at home towards the end of their reducing dosage programme.Tablet count was used to assess compliance in 50 patients. Thirty-seven patients (74 per cent) were found to be compliant. Patients whose present courses of steroid treatment were of more than six months' duration and those who had undertaken eight or more reducing dosage courses during the previous two years were less compliant than others. Thirty-six (65 per cent) of 55 patients on once-daily regimens regularly took their medication within two hours of 8am. Five patients (9 per cent) inappropriately divided their daily dosages.Although compliance was assessed as being good, possibilities exist for effecting improvement.