Nonadherence with psychopharmacologic treatment among psychiatric patients

While considerable progress has been made in the development of psychopharmacologic agents employed to treat patients with psychiatric illnesses, compliance with prescribed treatment remains an enormous problem. Medication nonadherence adversely effects treatment response, and increases relapse rates and the cost of continued care. When patients fail to adhere to prescribed medications, it is important to examine the multifactorial influences that underlie the nonadherence. Having done so, the primary care physician can be instrumental in developing interventional strategies that foster treatment adherence and produce positive outcomes of therapy.