This site is intended for US healthcare professionals only.

This site is intended for US healthcare professionals only.

Monitoring Adherence1

Methods for monitoring adherence can be divided into direct and indirect methods; each method has advantages and disadvantages without any one method being considered the gold standard1:

Direct Methods Indirect Methods
  • Direct observation
  • Measurement of drug level in the blood
  • Blood biomarker
  • Patient questionnaire
  • Patient self-report
  • Rate of prescription refill
  • Patient diaries
  • Pill counts
  • Assessment of clinical response

Reference: 1. Osterberg L, Blaschke T. Adherence to medication. N Engl J Med. 2005;353(5):487-497.