References

Alpert JS. Compliance/Adherence to Physician-advised Diagnostic and Therapeutic Strategies. The American Journal of Medicine.. 2014; 127:(8)685-686 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.03.010

Anderson I. How to…Ten Top Tips on compliance, concordance, and adherence. Wounds international.. 2013; 4:(2)9-12

Aronson JK. Compliance, concordance, adherence. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.. 2007; 63:(4)383-384 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2007.02893.x

Bell JS, Airaksinen MS, Lyles A, Chen TF, Aslani P. Concordance is not synonymous with compliance or adherence. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.. 2007; 64:(5)710-711 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2007.02971_1.x

Hospital Management Committee. 1 WLR 583. 1957;

Brown MT, Bussell JK. Medication adherence: WHO cares?. Mayo Clin Proc.. 2011; 86:(4)304-314 https://doi.org/10.4065/mcp.2010.0575

Buczkowski K, Marcinowicz L, Czachowski S, Piszczek E. Motivations toward smoking cessation, reasons for relapse, and modes of quitting: results from a qualitative study among former and current smokers. Patient Prefer Adherence.. 2014; 2014:1353-63 https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S67767

Cramer JA, Roy A, Burrell A Medication compliance and persistence: terminology and definitions. Value Health.. 2007; 11:(1)44-7 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1524-4733.2007.00213.x

Cushing A, Metcalfe R. Optimizing medicines management: From compliance to concordance. Ther Clin Risk Manag.. 2007; 3:(6)1047-1058

Dowell J, Jones A, Snadden D. Exploring medication use to seek concordance with ‘non-adherent’ patients: a qualitative study. Br J Gen Pract.. 2002; 52:(474)24-32

European Patients Forum. Adherence and Concordance – EPF Position Paper. 2015. https://www.eu-patient.eu/globalassets/policy/adherence-compliance-concordance/adherence-paper-final-rev_external.pdf (accessed 17 May 2021)

Felzmann H. Adherence, compliance, and concordance: an ethical perspective. Nurse Prescribing.. 2012; 10:(8)406-411 https://doi.org/10.12968/npre.2012.10.8.406

Gray R, Wykes T, Gournay K. From compliance to concordance: a review of the literature on interventions to enhance compliance with antipsychotic medication. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs.. 2002; 9:(3)277-284 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2850.2002.00474.x

Hall K, Picton C. Analysing the Competency Framework for all Prescribers. Journal of Prescribing Practice.. 2020; 2:(3)122-128 https://doi.org/10.12968/jprp.2020.2.3.122

Hemingway S, Snowden A. Debating mental health nurses' role in medicines management. British Journal of Nursing.. 2012; 21:(20)1219-1223 https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2012.21.20.1219

Horne R, Weinman J, Barber N Concordance, Adherence and Compliance in Medicine Taking Report for the National Co-ordinating Centre for NHS Service Delivery and Organisation R & D (NCCSDO). 2005;

Howard R. Compliance, adherence and concordance. In: Whalley B., Fletcher K.E., Weston S.E., Howard R., Rawlinson C.F. London: Foundation in Pharmacy Practice Pharmaceutical Press; 2008

Hughes RG, Ortiz E. Medication Errors. AJN, American Journal of Nursing.. 2005; 105:14-24 https://doi.org/10.1097/00000446-200503001-00005

Huyard C, Haak H, Derijks L, Lieverse L. When patients' invisible work becomes visible: non-adherence and the routine task of pill-taking. Sociol Health Illn.. 2019; 41:(1)5-19 https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12806

Jimmy B, Jose J. Patient medication adherence: measures in daily practice. Oman Med J.. 2011; 26:(3)155-159 https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2011.38

Kaufman G. Polypharmacy, medicines optimization and concordance. Nurse Prescribing.. 2014; 12:(4)197-201 https://doi.org/10.12968/npre.2014.12.4.197

Latter S, Maben J, Myall M, Young A. Perceptions and practice of concordance in nurses' prescribing consultations: Findings from a national questionnaire survey and case studies of practice in England. International Journal of Nursing Studies.. 2007; 44:(1)9-18 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2005.11.005

Lally J. Enabling patients to share decisions about their care. Nursing Times. 2011; 107:(34)14-16

Lee K, Chin YS, Loong YY, Hejar AR. From Compliance to Adherence and Concordance, What Quantitative and Qualitative Studies Have Synthesized?. Journal of Health Management.. 2008; 2008:36-60

McKinnon J. Pursuing concordance: moving away from paternalism. Br J Nur.. 2013; 22:(13)766-771

McKinnon J. Pursuing concordance: moving away from paternalism. Br J Nurs.. 2014; 23:(12)677-684 https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2014.23.12.677

Metcalfe R. Compliance, Adherence, Concordance – What's in a Name?. Practical Neurology.. 2005; 5:(4)192-193 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-7766.2005.00313.x

Montgomery (Appellant) v Lanarkshire Health Board (Respondent) (Scotland). 2015;

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Medicines Concordance Appendix A. 2008. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg76/documents/cg76-medicines-adherence-full-guideline-appendix-a2 (accessed 24 May 2021)

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Medicines Adherence: involving patients in decisions about prescribed medicines and supporting adherence NICE CG76. 2009. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg76 (accessed 17 May 2021)

Nuttall D, Rutt-Howard J. The Textbook of Non-Medical Prescribing.Sussex: Wiley; 2020

Pomey M-P, Hihat H, Khalifa M, Lebel P, Néron A, Dumez V. Patient partnership in quality improvement of healthcare services: Patients' inputs and challenges faced. Patient Experience Journal.. 2015; 2:(1)29-42 https://doi.org/10.35680/2372-0247.1064

Randall S, Neubeck L. What's in a name? Concordance is better than adherence for promoting partnership and self-management of chronic disease. Aust J Prim Health.. 2016; 22:(3)181-184 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY15140

Snowden A, Marland G. No decision about me without me: concordance operationalised. J Clin Nurs.. 2013; 22:(9–10)1353-1360 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2012.04337.x

Treharne GJ, Lyons AC, Hale ED, Douglas KM, Kitas GD. ‘Compliance’ is futile but is ‘concordance’ between rheumatology patients and health professionals attainable?. Rheumatology (Oxford).. 2006; 45:(1)1-5 https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/kei223

Vermeire E, Hearnshaw H, Van Royen P, Denekens J. Patient adherence to treatment: three decades of research. A comprehensive review. J Clin Pharm Ther.. 2001; 26:(5)331-342 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2710.2001.00363.x

Vrijens B, Dima AL, Van Ganse E What We Mean When We Talk About Adherence in Respiratory Medicine. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract.. 2016; 4:(5)802-812 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2016.05.019

Vrijens B, De Geest S, Hughes DA A new taxonomy for describing and defining adherence to medications. Br J Clin Pharmacol.. 2012; 73:(5)691-705 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04167.x

Wahl C, Gregoire JP, Teo K Concordance, compliance and adherence in healthcare: closing gaps and improving outcomes. Healthc Q.. 2005; 8:(1)65-70 https://doi.org/10.12927/hcq.16941

Whalley BJ. Foundation in Pharmacy Practice.London: Pharmaceutical Press; 2008

World Health Organization. Adherence to long term therapies: evidence for action. 2003. https://www.who.int/chp/knowledge/publications/adherence_report/en/ (accessed 30 September 2020)

World Health Organization. Medication Errors. 2016. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/252274/9789241511643-eng (accessed 30 September 2020)

World Health Organization. Global HIV Programme: Service delivery, adherence and retention. 2018. https://www.who.int/teams/global-hiv-hepatitis-and-stis-programmes/hiv/treatment/service-delivery-adherence-retention (accessed 19 March 2021)

Medicines Management

Obedience to collaboration: compliance, adherence and concordance

02 June 2021
Professional
02 June 2021
Volume 3 · Issue 6

Abstract

A literature review was conducted to ascertain the historical and current use of the terms ‘compliance,’ ‘adherence’ and ‘concordance’ in relation to prescribing. Although there is agreement that compliance is not appropriate in the context of patient behaviour, it is still used. The implications for clinician-patient relationship and engagement are considered. The competencies that guide prescribing practitioners in the United Kingdom embrace concepts of adherence and concordance but do not mention ‘compliance’. Caution is given against changing vocabulary only.

Data from The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, 2009) show that 35–50% of medication is not taken as prescribed. As with most aspects of healthcare, relationship and approach can be used to aim to improve this. ‘Task orientation’ is now a phrase rarely used within healthcare practice, and individualised care is now adopted within education and clinical expectations, so it is curious that experienced clinicians use unsympathetic and paternalistic language in talking about their patients being compliant/non-compliant. This article gives an overview of use of the terms ‘compliance,’ ‘adherence’ and ‘concordance’ in relation to prescribing practice and how their use has changed over time. Discussion will be related to informed consent, the standards set by A Competency Framework for all Prescribers (Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), 2016) and partnership in care.

A literature review was conducted to gain an overview of the use of the terms ‘compliance,’ ‘adherence’ and ‘concordance’ alongside the meanings that have been attached to them. A search of English language literature was conducted through the online databases Academic Search Complete, CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, SocINDEX and Google Scholar.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Journal of Prescribing Practice and reading some of our peer-reviewed resources for prescribing professionals. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Limited access to our clinical or professional articles

  • New content and clinical newsletter updates each month

Register
Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address

Adherence
behaviour
compliance
concordance
partnership
prescribing
relationship