A pharmacy student searches for psychological predictors of patient compliance

Pharmacists are becoming more involved in patient counseling and dosage regimen design in an attempt to improve patient compliance. A study was designed and implemented by an undergraduate pharmacy student in an attempt to gain experience in research methodology and to enhance individual clinical involvement. Forty patients, randomly selected at a community pharmacy and a family practice clinic, were administered a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator exam to assess the patient's degree of systematic preference. Refill dates for each patient's hypertensive medications were examined for six months in order to infer compliance. Results of the psychological exam did not accurately predict patient compliance or noncompliance. The student working with only minimal faculty guidance was able to design, implement, analyze, and describe the study. Colleges of pharmacy are encouraged to implement similar clinical research training projects for undergraduate students.