A spoonful of motivation helps the medicine go down

We have all done it. We are prescribed a medication to help us, but we don’t take it as directed, or at all. Sometimes we don’t even fill the prescription. Why? Things get in the way of getting to the pharmacy. One last phone call at work or one more math problem with your child. Or we begin to feel better and stop taking the medicine. Or we don’t understand the instructions. Or we are not convinced the medication will work. Or there are side effects we do not like. Or the medication is too expensive. Or any of a hundred other reasons. Adherence is how well we follow the recommendations from our health provider. Medication adherence ranges, but the track record isn’t good, with the average rate about 50%. What are the consequences of non-adherence? Disease progresses. Medications are wasted and become less effective in the long term. Hospitalization risk increases. As a society, the potential financial cost of non-adherence is $100 billion per year. As the late former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop said, “Drugs don’t work in patients who don’t take them.” Partner with your provider to maximize motivation While there are many factors that influence adherence, motivation plays an important role. Increasing motivation to stick with a medication regimen requires work by both the patient and the provider. Think about your current and future life goals and how this medication can help you reach these goals. Clearly communicate these goals to your provider and e...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Drugs and Supplements Health Managing your health care Source Type: blogs