Compliance Among Children

Children are less likely than adults to take or be given drugs as directed. In a study of children who had streptococcal infections and for whom a 10-day course of penicillin was prescribed, 56% were not taking the drug by the third day, 71% by the sixth day, and 82% by the ninth day. For children with chronic diseases such as type 1 diabetes or asthma, compliance is difficult to achieve because their treatment plan is complex and must be continued for a long time.

Sometimes parents do not understand a doctor's instructions. Also, parents (and patients) forget, on average, about half the information 15 minutes after meeting with a doctor. They remember the first third of the discussion best and remember more about diagnosis than about the details of treatment. That is why pediatricians try to keep the treatment plan simple and often provide written instructions.