Reliability of dapsone self-administration by leprosy patients in the Rangoon area.

The application of urine tests to assess the reliability of dapsone self-administration by leprosy patients in the Rangoon area is described. Dapsone/creatinine ratios were detennined on urine samples collected from the patients and the results compared with lhose from supervised controls. The resulls obtained demonstraled lhat the laking of dapsone by patients attending the out-patient dispensaries of the Rangoon General Hospital Skin Department and both the out-patients and in-patients served by the Htauk Kyant Hospital was good. However patients from H legu, Hwawbi, Htauk Kyant and Taik Kyi villages appeared to take dapsone rather irregularly . Possible reasons for their poor compliance are discussed and suggestions are made as to how they might be encouraged to take their dapsone more regularly .