A riboflavin tracer method for assessment of medication compliance in children

A series of studies was implemented to adapt a riboflavin tracer method of medication compliance detection that could be employed easily and accurately by parents in a behavioral program aimed at targeting and improving compliance in children. Results of these studies indicated that, with minimal training in the use of an inexpensive fluorescent “black light,” adults could reliably detect the presence of riboflavin (vitamin B₂) in the urine of children who had ingested 10 mg of the vitamin at bedtime. Implications for the use of this technique in a home-based behavioral program that targets medication compliance are discussed.