If you read about any kind of medical treatment or talk to doctors, you'll run across the term "compliance." This word is doctor-talk for whether the patient follows the doctor's instructions. Patients who follow their doctor’s recommendations regarding medications and lifestyle are said to be "compliant" and those who don't are "noncompliant." Some people use the term “adherence” instead of compliance. Using the words “compliant” and “noncompliant” are shortcut ways of saying whether patients are really following the treatment plans that they've decided on along with their physician. This section discusses compliance with medications. (For more information go here.)

It’s really important to be compliant with seizure medications. It may mean the difference between having seizures or not, or between having side effects from medications or not. There are many reasons for noncompliance, including memory problems or instructions that are too complicated, but when the treatment involves taking seizure medicine on schedule, every day, achieving compliance is essential.

At epilepsy.com, we encourage patients to take an active part in making decisions about their care. A good example is our guide to Seizure Preparedness. Medication compliance is a big part of being actively involved in your health care. In Medication Compliance, we will talk about why it’s important to be compliant with medications, the possible consequences of noncompliance, and the causes of and solutions for noncompliance, with tips on keeping track of medications.

Topic Editor: Robert Fisher, M.D., Ph.D.
Last Reviewed: 11/15/08