Is it acceptable for people to be paid to adhere to medication? Yes
Tom Burns. BMJ 2007;335:232, doi:10.1136/bmj.39286.399514.BE
Is it acceptable for people to be paid to adhere to medication? No
Joanne Shaw. BMJ 2007;335:233, doi:10.1136/bmj.39286.422639.BE
The Issue
A program to reinforce compliance with drug abuse treatment by awarding shopping vouchers to patients who adhere to the program was recently approved in England.
This week’s British Medical Journal includes a concise debate between two experts on this issue. While the point each makes are predictable and I suspect few readers will be swayed from their convictions held prior to perusing the article, the opposing perspectives, which are stated clearly and thoughtfully, are useful in considering the ethics and clinical pragmatics of this methodology.
Rather than rehearse the points of these two arguments, I instead suggest that viewers read the original debate by clicking on the link that follows to download the two-page PDF of the paired pro and con articles, provided by the BMJ without charge: ~Is it acceptable for people to be paid to adhere to medication?~