Abstract: Objective: To investigate the drug compliance in patients with essential hypertension to provide the basis for health education. Methods: Using the self-designed questionnaire for hypertension knowledge and drug compliance, 120 patients with essential hypertension at the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College from March to May 2009 were investigated. Results: The average score of drug compliance in patients with essential hypertension was 2.15 ±0.47, drug compliance was mainly affected by occupation, stage, course of disease, knowledge, education degree, medical expenses had no obvious relationship with drug compliance (P>0.05). Conclusions: the poor drug compliance is prevalent in patients with essential hypertension, knowledge education in patients with essential hypertension and their families, reasonable use of antihypertensive drug, behavior treatment, community hypertension management, monitoring and health education should be strengthened.