Patient compliance: a novel method of testing non-steroidal antiinflammatory analgesics in rheumatoid arthritis.

Patient compliance has been used as a measure of efficacy of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) in the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A series of studies on various cohorts of patients using different drugs and different prescribing methods has been conducted. The studies have confirmed the absence of long-term placebo response. Indomethacin emerges as the most effective drug regardless of the mode of prescription, but it is clear from the results that the level of compliance varies with the mode of prescription.