Taking medicines like you ’re supposed to: Why is it so hard?

It’s so hard to remember to take your medicine, let alone take it correctly (with food, on an empty stomach, not at the same time as other things you’re taking, at night, without grapefruit juice… the list seems endless). There are so many barriers and distractions that can get in the way. Many people aren’t thrilled about having to take medications because they worry about side effects, or they’re having side effects, or they just don’t like the idea of needing to take medicine. If it’s for prevention, like aspirin to prevent strokes, or to treat an “invisible” condition like high blood pressure, they may not think they need it at all. Even when a person is highly motivated, there are still missed doses. Even when that person is a doctor! I had strep throat last year, and for the life of me I couldn’t consistently remember to take my amoxicillin three times a day. (Which is probably why I got strep again.) As a primary care doctor, I try to prescribe only the drugs needed, be mindful of side effects, and find the simplest regimen possible. But many people require a lot of medications, and their regimens may be necessarily complex. The cost of not taking medicine correctly Doctors, pharmacies, and insurance companies are all acutely aware of the poor outcomes and massive costs incurred by “medication noncompliance.”* Research articles on medication noncompliance show that when people don’t take their medication, they are likely to get sicker (even di...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Behavioral Health Drugs and Supplements Managing your health care Source Type: blogs