Adherence to topical therapy increases around the time of office visits

Background The efficacy of topical medications is limited by non-adherence. Interventions to improve adherence to topical treatments are not well characterized. Objective To assess the impact of office visits on patients' adherence to topical treatment. Methods Twenty-nine subjects enrolled in a clinical trial for psoriasis and were followed for up to 8 weeks. Subjects were told to apply 6% salicylic acid gel twice daily. Electronic monitors were used to assess adherence. Results were compared to adherence in clinical trials of hand dermatitis and atopic dermatitis. Results Adherence rates were significantly higher around the time of office visits ( P < .05). Limitations This is a small study in a limited patient population. The study was observational and not a randomized trial of the effect of increased office visits. Conclusion Frequent follow-up visits in clinical trials increase patients' adherence to medications. The use of a follow-up visit shortly after initiating treatment may be an effective way to boost patients' use of their medication and achieve better treatment outcomes.