[Compliance to therapy in daily practice--rheumatologic diseases]

An insufficient compliance is regularly observed in 30% of outpatients. In chronic rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis a poor compliance is often associated with alleviation of symptoms whereas symptomatic patients tend to take their medication more regularly. Drug abuse, mainly corticosteroids, can often not be avoided. The latter may 'particularly in women' lead to osteoporosis with subsequent fractures. In patients with fibrositis compliance is often a poor because of digestive problems associated with NSAIDs and the bad response to drugs and adjuvant therapies.