Adherence to Pharmacotherapy in Bipolar Disorder Patients With and Without Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders

In bipolar disorder patients, those with co-occurring SUD were less adherent than those without SUD. The SUD group was also less adherent to lithium than the non-SUD group. The reasons for nonadherence differed by presence or absence of a SUD. Physicians should be alert to these differences in their clinical practices while prescribing medications.