The Patient-Physician Relationship's Relationship with Medication Adherenc

The epidemic of medication adherence not only effects patient health outcomes but also leads to excessive spending from healthcare agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and from hospitals around the globe. Understanding why patients are not adherent to their medications and treatment regimens is of central importance in today's society. High rates of morbidity and mortality are plaguing the health system and extensive research is needed to begin comprehending ways to eliminate this problem. A major theme central to adherence is the patient-physician relationship. Exhaustive research has been completed on the patient-physician relationship and its relationship with medication adherence. The purpose of this study was to explore the strength of the patient-physician relationship as related to patient's adherence to prescriptions and medication regimens. Results found a positive correlation between the strength of the patient-physician relationship and higher rates of adherence. This study adds to the data supporting the idea that positive physician interpersonal relationships with patients helps to increase rates of medication adherence.