Millions skip meds, don't take pills correctly
MSNBC, July 30th, 2007
Consider it the other drug problem: Millions
of people don't take their medicine correctly — or quit taking it
altogether — and the consequences can be deadly.
On average, half of patients with chronic illnesses like heart disease or asthma skip doses or otherwise mess up their medication, says a
report being issued later this week. It calls the problem a national
crisis costing billions of dollars.
The government is preparing new steps to try to persuade patients and their doctors to do better.
But with contributors that range from too-hurried doctor visits to confusing pill bottles, there's no easy solution.
"We
go into this with some humility," says Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which is planning what
she calls an "in your face" campaign to improve medication adherence.
"It's really pretty appalling how badly we do."
This
goes far beyond the issue of affording prescriptions. Often people buy
their drugs but misunderstand what they're supposed to take, or how. Or
forget doses. Or start feeling better and toss the rest of the bottle.
Or skip doses for fear of side effects.
Read more of this article.