title: Patient report validated against prescription records for measuring use of and compliance with antihypertensive drugs.
abstract: Drug use and patient compliance in antihypertensive treatment were studied by interview and validated with prescription records in a Finnish population. The original study population consisted of 675 hypertensives identified in a 6.6% random survey of the 25-59-year-old population in 1972. At re-examination in 1977, 310 of the 570 participants had then used antihypertensive drugs during the preceding year. Two thirds renewed prescriptions appropriately within 70% of the correct time (considered as good compliance). Prescription filling patterns of the re-examination non-participants did not differ from those of the participants. Eight per cent of the participants reported not having followed prescription instructions. There was 94% agreement between the re-examination and prescription records; 5% reported taking fewer drugs than the records showed and 1% reported taking more. Drug history given by the patient gave accurate information about the number and type of drugs in use. However, patient interview gave an overestimation of compliance.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents