Final answer:
A medication taken two times per day is associated with its pharmacokinetic properties, like half-life and whether it's dose or time dependent, which affects dosing intervals. Directly observed therapy is a strategy to improve adherence, but its practicality and cost are debated in the context of preventing overprescription and ensuring best medication practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
A medication that is taken two times per day has specific dosing abbreviations based on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drug. The half-life of a medication, which determines how long it remains effective in the bloodstream, is a critical factor in determining dosing intervals. Medications with short half-lives may require multiple doses throughout the day, while those with longer half-lives may only need to be taken once every 24 hours or even less frequently. The effectiveness of certain drugs can be either dose dependent, requiring higher concentrations for a short period, or time dependent, necessitating a consistent therapeutic level maintained over time. In the context of treatment adherence, strategies like directly observed therapy (DOT) can help ensure patients take their medications as prescribed, which is especially important in treatments such as for TB where DOT is part of WHO's strategy for eradication. Nevertheless, the practicality of DOT for all antibiotics, the costs involved, and its impact on patient adherence are areas of ongoing debate, particularly when considering strategies to prevent overprescription and ensuring best practices in medication use.