Enhancing medication use in schizophrenic patients.

Practical strategies for increasing schizophrenic outpatients' compliance with medication are outlined in detail. The strategies are based on the assumptions that (1) interventions which encourage patients to take control of their lives are good in both a moral and clinical sense, (2) schizophrenics, like all people, want to feel as good as possible, (3) fighting a losing battle with a patient regarding medication is counterproductive unless the fight makes some larger strategic sense. Specific approaches range from simply being sure to ask about compliance to involving the patient's family and extended support network in such efforts.