Background. Hypertension carries a high risk of cardiovascular complications. Patient medication non-compliance has been identified to be an major factor for suboptimal blood pressure control in clinical practice. Different strategies have been proposed to improve patient medication compliance but their effects on clinical outcomes were inconsistent. Methods . A telephone survey was conducted to examine patient medication compliance with anti-hypertensive drugs in Hong Kong. I then established a Pharmacist-managed Compliance Clinic in a public out-patient setting and provided individualized patient education to non-compliant patients identified by physicians. A telephone follow-up was arranged at 4-week after intervention followed by a more in-depth reassessment on subsequent physician clinic visit day. The immediate endpoint was patient compliance rate. Intermediate endpoint was systolic and diastolic blood pressure control. Other outcome measures were control of other cardiovascular risk factors and level of healthcare resources utilization. / Conclusion. Pharmacist-managed Compliance Clinic is effective in improving patient medication compliance and has positive impact on clinical outcomes. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) / Results. A total of 853 patients were successfully contacted and completed the patient survey. According to our definition, 80.4% of patients interviewed were considered to be compliant. Factors associated with medication compliance included multiple drug therapy, presence of drug adverse effects, patient's awareness of preventive nature of medication, rapport between patient and physician, and full-time working status. A causal model was successfully established with latent factors identified for medication non-compliance. The factors included patient's functional status, provision of health advice and concern from physician, and patient's knowledge regarding reasons for drug taking. Another two hundreds hypertensive patients were followed at the Pharmacist-managed Compliance Clinic. On average, each patient attended 1.3 pharmacist visits. The non-compliance rate fell from 100% to 20% after a single pharmacist intervention. Significant improvement was observed in patients' mean blood pressures readings as well as the diabetic and lipid control. Positive impacts on healthcare resources utilization were also observed. / Chan Man Chi Grace. / "June 2005." / Adviser: Juliana C.N. Chan. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: B, page: 3730. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 126-151). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.