OBJECTIVES: There is general support that individual time preference affects health-related behaviours. People with a high, positive time preference value their immediate health higher than future health, even if presented with extreme scenarios of intertemporal choice.  We hypothesised that adherence to medication requires trade-offs between immediate and delayed health benefits.  Patients with lower time preference rates may be more adherent to medication as they place a higher value on the future benefits of adherence.  METHODS: Hypertensive adult patients across Europe were invited to complete a web-based survey that had been translated and piloted.  Patients’ time preference was assessed (4-items) to calculate individual discount rates (%) in both short term (3-years) and medium term (6-years).  Medication adherence was measured using the Morisky questionnaire (primary analysis) and the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS, secondary analysis).  Sample size calculation, based on 5% one-sided confidence, assuming 30% non-adherence with Morisky measure indicated n=323 per country.  Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation in STATA.  The significance of the association with adherence was assessed using the Wald test statistic.  RESULTS: 969 patients completed the questionnaire across England, Wales and Hungary, 79% of possible responses were observed.  Short and medium term time preference rates in England, Wales and Hungary were in the expected directions, but the relationship was not statistically significant.  Based on Morisky adherence - Wales (short): adherent 8.7%, non-adherent 9.4% (p=0.541); (medium): adherent 4.7%, non-adherent 5.0% (p=0.611).  England (short): adherent 7.8%, non-adherent 9.5% (p=0.163); (medium): adherent 3.7%, non-adherent 4.5% (p=0.095).  Hungary (short): adherent 19.0%, non-adherent 18.2% (p=0.504); (medium): adherent 8.9%, non-adherent 8.6% (p=0.596).  CONCLUSIONS: Time preference rates were aligned with those in the published literature but the association between time preference and adherence was non-significant in both primary and secondary analyses at an individual country level.