According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, medication is not taken as prescribed 50% of the time. 20 to 30% of new prescriptions are never filled at the pharmacy. Only 51% of patients taking medications for high blood pressure continue taking their medication during long-term treatment.
Here are some reasons why patients are not able to adhere to the medication regimen.
- Unpleasant side effects
- Forgetfulness
- Unable to fully understand the directions
- Multiple medications
- Medicine cost.
- Some are not able to afford the prescriptions and sometimes take less than what is prescribed by their provider.
Here are some tips to help you become med compliant.
- Take your medication with your daily routine such as getting ready for bed or brushing your teeth.
- Take your medication at the same time every day.
- Use a pill container that can be subdivided for morning, lunch, or evening dosages.
- When refilling your pill container do it at the same time each week.
- When traveling ensure that you bring enough of your medicine and a few extra days in case there are delayed flights.
- Put your medication in your hand-carry to avoid luggage being lost. Different temperatures inside the cargo hold can alter your medications.
- You may use a medicine calendar and note each time you take a dose.
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