Patient Compliance: Sweetening the Pill

Enormous global resources are devoted to the delivery of therapeutic interventions, from diet and lifestyle advice to complex surgeries. In all cases, regardless of the intervention, unless the recipient is engaged in the process and understands why the intervention has been offered and what role it plays in its success, compliance is an issue. Even if the person engages and understands, they may decide not to comply. Non-compliance is estimated to cost the pharmaceutical industry $70 billion a year. There are no figures on the cost to insurers and public health, but non-compliance is undoubtedly one of the top five issues facing both drug developers and healthcare providers. This book explores the key drivers of compliance and the role that healthcare professionals can play in improving it, with the key aim of improving public health in its broadest sense.