Low adherence of hypertensive patients to prescribed antihypertensive medications is a major cause of unsatisfactory blood pressure control. Several factors might have a negative influence on long-term adherence with treatment, for example a poor patient-doctor relationship and the presence of drug-induced side-effects. Various strategies are recommended in order to improve patient compliance, including educational programmes, self-measurement of blood pressure and monitoring of compliance. All methods may be helpful to encourage the patient to take the prescribed medication(s) regularly. It is also important to find a drug regimen which is at the same time simple, efficacious and well tolerated. Finally it should be pointed out that the motivation of the patient to follow the treatment requires the doctor to be equally motivated.