[Noncompliance with the medical prescription in primary care in a rural setting].

OBJECTIVE

To assess the level of initial non-compliance with treatment.

DESIGN

An observational study with interviews of patients, which compared prescriptions filled at the Siruela Health Centre (Badajoz) with those dispensed at the town's only pharmacy.

SETTING

Primary Care; rural ambit.

RESULTS

8,100 prescriptions were filled for an attending population of 3,100 people. 218 (2.7%) were not collected at the pharmacy. Non-compliance was considerably greater among active workers (4%) than pensioners (2%) (Z = 5.3; p < 0.001). Non-compliance was also greater when prescriptions were written by locums at weekends or on bank holidays (8.6%) than when they were written by the normal doctor (2.2%) (Z = 9.8, p < 0.001). 50.9% of prescriptions not collected were for pensioners on Social Security and 49.1% for the active population. Causes of non-compliance indicated by the patients were: medicine had little effect (33%), high price (28.4%) and not financed by the National Health System (26.6%). 32.6% of the cases of non-compliance were followed up; 64.8% of them returned to the consultation.

CONCLUSIONS

Better information to patients on their pathologies and treatments would avoid many cases of non-compliance.