Patient compliance with drug treatment--new perspectives on an old problem.

Compared to other variables being considered in therapeutics, patient compliance has long been given minor attention although it affects every aspect of medical care. Limited methodology of compliance measurement, in particular, has hampered major progress in research, and pre-conceptions have been reiterated. However, there is a recent surge in interest derived from new data revealed by reliable methods, i.g. continuous medication (compliance) monitoring. The visualization of dynamics in drug regimen compliance over time offers unique opportunities, both to scientific drug evaluation and therapeutics in medical practice. New perspectives related to the descriptive and explanatory side of the problem are outlined by giving examples from various therapeutic fields.