Noncompliance with pharmacologic treatment is common amongst @entity1 suffering from @entity102 . In @entity146 @entity1 compliance is extremely important in order to prevent recurrence of the disease. Recurrence is associated with readmissions and increased costs to the health system. About 70% of @entity1 suffering from @entity161 will relapse within a year without medication. This study evaluates the causes of admission and diagnoses of 100 @entity1 consecutively admitted to a closed @entity146 ward between 1.4.2000 and 23.6.2000. Fifty- four of these 100 admissions were associated with medication noncompliance in the last year. Noncompliance was not associated with @entity146 diagnosis, gender, type of medication or form of administration of the medication. The problem of noncompliance should be approached on two levels: the doctor- @entity1 relationship and reorganization of mental health services. On the doctor- @entity1 level, the therapist has to maintain a therapeutic alliance with the @entity1 and his family and adjust the medication accordingly, in order to maximize the benefit and minimize side effects. On the health system level, mental health should be included in the National Health Insurance Law and the Health Funds should take responsibility for mental health as in other medical fields. This may enable the @entity146 @entity1 to be under the care of their general practitioner in continuity with the @entity146 hospital. Thereby, resources should be transferred from the @entity146 hospitals to the community. The availability of the @entity146 community services and their links to the general healthcare system would increase compliance and reduce recurrence, readmissions and the stigma of @entity1 suffering from @entity146 .

[Non-compliance with medication as a common reason for admission to a closed XXXX ward].

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity161 :: ('MESH:D012559', 'Disease') :: ['schizophrenia'] @entity102 :: ('MESH:D002908', 'Disease') :: ['chronic diseases'] @entity146 :: ('MESH:D001523', 'Disease') :: ['psychiatric', 'psychiatric disorders']
@entity146 :: (MESH:D001523,Disease) :: ['psychiatric']
