ISSUES IN MEDICATION COMPLIANCE AMONG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

The use of medication therapy for the treatment of ADHD in children has been cited as the most frequent course of treatment for children diagnosed with this condition with an estimated 3 % of school-aged children being prescribed stimulant medication (Kirk, 1999). One issue that is frequently cited when using medication to treat this condition is that of medication compliance. Medication compliance is defined as the actual dosing history with the prescribed drug regimen (Urquhardt, 1994). This paper examines factors that affect the challenges associated with medication compliance among children and families affected by ADHD and the implications that medication compliance has on the educational outcomes experienced by children diagnosed with this condition. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder in which an individual’s ability to regulate attention and activity is impaired. In the US, ADHD has been a common diagnosis among school-aged children with prevalence estimated as high as 3%-5 % (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). One of the most frequently cited forms of treatment for this disorder has been the use of stimulant medication with estimates of nearly 3 % of the school-aged populatio