Patient noncompliance to oral medication regimens was assessed by interview in a sample of 109 private practice patients at two pharmacies in an outer western suburb of Sydney. Patients were classified into one of the five following groups on the basis of their stated degree of noncompliance to all medications taken (perfect compliance on all medications, occasional noncompliance on all medications, frequent noncompliance on all medications, occasional noncompliance on only some of the medications taken, and frequent noncompliance on only some of the medications taken). Selected medical/phnrmacological, doctor-patient relationship, attitudinal and personality variables were measured and univariate and multivariate analyses of the data undertaken. Contrary to expectations, the total number of medications reportedly taken rind complexity of the regimen were inversely related to noncompliance. Respondents reported satisfaction with the doctor's consultations, skepticism of doctors, attitudes to medication and scores on Rotter's (1966) Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (IEC) did not distinguish the compliant group from the four noncompliant groups combined. The most noteworthy finding concerned the marked ditlerences between the noncompliant groups, especially in relation to the patient's opinion of having to take the medication and the Personal Control scores of the IEC.
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