title: Accuracy of patient self-medication with topical eardrops.
abstract: Topical eardrops are commonly prescribed by otolaryngologists and general practitioners and many believe that patient compliance is poor, although this has not been studied in a properly controlled manner. Thirty-nine patients with otitis externa were reviewed four times during a two-week course of topical eardrops and their treatment compliance studied. The patients tended to undermedicate themselves, and this tendency increased over the two-week period. Patients were administering significantly fewer drops by the end of day 11 than by the end of day 3 (p = 0.2). Compliance patterns were extremely poor, in that only 40 per cent of patients were managing to self-medicate within a 25 per cent error margin by the end of day 3. These findings may have future implications in the ongoing debate on eardrop use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Hull Royal Infirmary, UK.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: England
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Homer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jasser
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Wilde
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000617:Aminoglycosides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D010032:Otitis Externa / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012651:Self Medication
chemical_list: D000617:Aminoglycosides