Giora Sharf discusses the Israeli CML Patient’s Support Group and explains how such international advocacy groups benefit patients. It has been shown that patient compliance has a huge impact on treatment outcome and a collective of CML advocacy groups presented their research into patient compliance at the 2011 EHA meeting. This research highlighted an international variation in patient compliance and demonstrated that patients from all countries exaggerate their adherence to treatment schedules when questioned. Mr Sharf talks about the reasons for this and considers how this problem can be addressed.