ABSTRACT
In order to produce a manageable text for the reader, we have chosen to focus on the factors influencing compliance with medicines. We tried to obtain insights on compliance from the areas of complementary and alternative medicine and also consumer health but failed. We wanted to include these areas because patients often instigate the decision to access them without conventional healthcare professional intervention. By definition, they have engaged with the process, at least at the outset: what factors drive them to remain engaged and what factors turn them away from these options? We felt that there could be valuable lessons to learn and apply to conventional, mainstream medicine with its heavy reliance on pharmacology. We failed in our attempt because potential authors cited a lack of published data on which to base their chapters. We hope to address this problem in the next edition of this book.
