Skipping, modifying or ignoring your medication can be bad for your health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 50% of patients do not take their medications as prescribed by their doctor. Are you taking your medications as prescribed?
Medication adherence, or taking medications correctly, is generally defined as the extent to which patients take medication as prescribed by their doctors. This involves factors such as getting prescriptions filled, remembering to take medication on time, and understanding the directions.
Common barriers to medication adherence include:
- The inability to pay for medications
- Disbelief that the treatment is necessary or helping
- Difficulty keeping up with multiple medications and complex dosing schedules
- Confusion about how and when to take the medication
Poor adherence can interfere with the ability to treat many diseases, leading to greater complications from the illness and a lower quality of life for patients. Here are some examples of areas in which medication adherence can pose challenges, along with tips for taking medications correctly and talking with your doctor or pharmacist about your questions and concerns.
Taking your medication as prescribed can possibly:
- Improve survival
- Decrease symptoms
- Prevent hospitalization
- Lower costs
So, it’s important to follow the directions that are on your prescription bottle. For example:
- Take your medicine the right way. The label may say to take twice daily, or with or without food.
- For the right amount of time. If your prescription says to take until finished, or do not abruptly stop taking it; follow those instructions.
- Take the right amount. If you are to take 2 tablets twice a day, don’t adjust and take more thinking it will make you feel better, or take less thinking it will last longer. If your prescription is in a liquid form, be sure to get a dosage cup so you know exactly how much to pour each time and avoid the teaspoon vs. Tablespoon confusion.
- Take it at the right time. You may be instructed to take your medicine at bedtime, or early in the morning.
Our pharmacists can help you stay on track with your prescriptions be offering these services:
- Auto Refill: We will call you when your refills are due.
- Medication Sync: We can align all of your medications to fill once a month.
- Blister Packing: We can put your prescribed doses in blister packs to make remembering to take (and if you took) your medications easier.
- Mobile App: Use our app to scan and refill your prescriptions.
- Texting: We can text you when your prescription is ready.
- Drive-thru or Curbside Service: Our Rocky Point location features a Drive-thru and our Hampstead location offers curbside service for your convenience.
- Spanish Translation: Hablamos Español.
If you have any questions about our medication, please ask a pharmacist. And be sure your doctor and pharmacist know all the medications you are taking. It could save your life!