title: Out-patient compliance with antidepressant medication.
abstract: A total of 89 depressed out-patients were randomly allocated to one of three groups: group A received one dose of antidepressant medication at night; group B received three doses of medication during the day; group C were allowed to choose either A or B above. Compliance with medication was assessed at three, six, nine and 12 weeks by interrogation and pill count; at the same time, depression and side-effects were rated. No overall significant difference was found between doctor-prescribed and patient-chosen regime, or between once-a-day and three-times-a-day dosage. However, compliance was significantly better in those patients who were allowed to choose, when they selected the three-times-a-day regime. There was a significant decline in compliance for all regimes over the 12 weeks. There was no evidence that better compliance produced a better therapeutic result, and possible reasons are given for this finding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Postgraduate Medicine, University of Keele, North Staffordshire Medical Institute, Hartshill, Stoke on Trent.
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Branthwaite
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008803:Mianserin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory
chemical_list: D000639:Amitriptyline; D008803:Mianserin