Compliance and convenience: do physicians and patients see depot medication differently?

Abstract

Physicians' attitudes to depot medication are often focused on improved compliance (adherence), and thus, short- and long-term treatment outcomes. By contrast, patients receiving such formulations tend to have a quite different viewpoint of medication. Factors such as convenience, side-effects and their beliefs about their illness play an important role in determining whether patients will adhere to their prescribed treatment regimen. The relationship between the patient and physician is of crucial importance in determining a patient's attitude to their medication; it is becoming increasingly clear that managing the illness in the long-term and avoiding relapse, while ensuring compliance, should be reframed as a collaborative process between the patient and physician.