Objective: To examine primary noncompliance in patients suffering with asthma.
Method: A prospective matching of prescriptions written and then dispensed for patients with asthma. The subjects were patients who were given a general practitioner's prescription for asthma during a 3 month period (1993) in an isolated rural setting.
Results: During the period of the study, participating GPs documented 359 prescriptions and of these only 251 (70%) were dispensed by the pharmacies. Primary noncompliance was therefore 30%. The relative risk (RR) of mild asthmatics not filling their prescriptions is 0.81 (95% CI; 0.771 < RR < 0.92) when compared to severe asthma. Compared to patients of high socioeconomic status; patients of low and medium socioeconomic status have decreased relative odds of filling their prescriptions, that is, RR = 0.84 (95% CI; 0.71 < RR < 1.00). Gender and age had no bearing on primary compliance.
Conclusions: Primary noncompliance is high in patients with asthma and is another factor contributing to morbidity. GPs should spend more time counselling patients on the need for treatment and not only its correct use. Patients with mild to moderate asthma and those in lower socioeconomic groups may need more intensive counselling.