Attitudes of patients with hypertension or arthritis toward the frequency of medication administration.

The attitudes of patients with a nonpainful chronic illness (hypertension) and the attitudes of patients with a painful chronic illness (arthritis) toward the frequency of medication administration were compared. Hospitalized patients with rheumatoid arthritis (n = 83) and hypertension (n = 117) were interviewed by study monitors. Multiple-daily dosing was preferred by 70% of the arthritis patients and 61% of the hypertension patients for pain medications. The majority of patients in both groups preferred single-daily dosing for nonpainful conditions. The majority of patients in both groups believed that there was no difference between the dosing regimens in terms of the number of side effects. Thirty-five percent of the patients with arthritis and 19% of the patients with hypertension stated that they would consider increasing or decreasing the number of daily doses of their medication. A single daily dose might not be the optimal dosing regimen for all medications for all patients. Clinicians should consider the nature of the patient's illness and its potential influence on compliance when selecting a dosing regimen.