Treatment outcomes and medication compliance for children and adolescents, 30 days post-discharge from an in-patient psychiatric hospital.

A variety of authors have suggested that children and adolescents are at risk for serious adverse health outcomes because of a lack of compliance with medication regimens. A lack of compliance includes taking less or more medication than prescribed, and taking medication at the wrong times. One study that examined the medication compliance of 81 students who were 10 years of age or older, and were enrolled in a school-based health center, determined that only 45 students (56%) filled the prescription given to them by the doctor. Of those students who filled the prescription, 76% reported that they always took the medication on time, 22% reported forgetting to take the medication some of the time and 2% reported never taking the medication.