ABSTRACT
The therapist will riot be responsible for prescribing the client's medication, but can help the client to adhere to their doctor's recommendations. Adherence is most likely to occur if there is an agreement between the client's ideas about their illness and their doctor's instructions. Continued adherence to medication is only likely to occur when the client's beliefs about their illness coincide with their doctor's advice. Individuals are more likely to continue with their medication if the perceived threat of the illness is high, and the perceived benefits of treatment exceed the perceived barriers. The client's beliefs associated with adherence may be specific to illness or treatment, but many of the views that influence a client's adherence are representative of their general rules or assumptions. The role of ensuring compliance with medication is essentially that of the client's doctor. The therapist has to draw the client's attention to the advantages of taking medication and the disadvantages of not taking medication.
