title: Poor adherence to oral bisphosphonate treatment and its consequences: a review of the evidence.
abstract: Poor therapeutic adherence is a major issue faced by physicians today. This paper summarizes the adherence rates with oral bisphosphonate (OBP) treatment in clinical practice and their impact on clinical outcomes. Studies systematically demonstrated that overall compliance and persistence with OBPs among osteoporotic women are poor. Although extending dosing intervals improved adherence, the gains are suboptimal. Most importantly, low compliance and persistence rates consistently resulted in increased rates of fractures. The results emphasize the importance of adherence to treatment to achieve optimal antifracture efficacy. There is an urgent need to implement strategies and to encourage physicians to take measures that increase patients' awareness of the need to use osteoporosis medications as directed in order to benefit from them fully.
authors.affiliation: University of Liège, Department of Public Health, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Liège, Belgium. veronique.rabenda@ulg.ac.be
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rabenda
authors.forename: Michaël
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiligsmann
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Reginster
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates