Abstract
Poor adherence to the treatment is widespread problem in therapy of chronic diseases, particularly in asymptomatic conditions. Measuring of adherence is a way how to eliminate this risk or at least control it.
There are several methods which can evaluate objective and subjective parameters of patient's approach to the treatment plan. Adherence to the therapy of osteoporosis is usually measured by indirect methods.
Self-reports and pill counts belong to the simplest instruments, very easily applicable to the practice, but with high risk of overestimation of adherence. Promising progress in research of adherence to osteoporosis treatment seems to become specific questionnaires to this metabolic illness.
As the reference standard of indirect methods is often considered electronic monitoring. Particularly the Medication Event Monitoring System can precisely monitor adherence to current therapy and observe certain date and time of drug administration.
This takes advantage, for example, of specific dosage regime of antiresorptive therapy of osteoporosis. Prescription refill analysis reflects long-term trends of therapy of chronic diseases and carries accurate assessment of persistence.
In this paper there are described mentioned indirect methods with their advantages and disadvantages and their options in measuring of adherence to the therapy of osteoporosis.