Medication not taken correctly is a serious public health concern, specifically when it comes to chronic disease management. According to the National Institute of Health, an estimated 50% of medication are not taken as prescribed. Not taking your medications as prescribed by a doctor (or instructed by a pharmacist) could lead to your conditions getting worse, becoming hospitalized or even death.
The family healthcare providers in Flower Mound TX at Your Family Medical (clinics also in Bedford, Benbrook, Boyd & Justin TX) have a number of strategies to educate patients on the importance of sticking to your medication routine. We’re going to share these tips with you to improve medication adherence—read on!
Why Some Don’t Follow Their Doctor’s Medication Instructions
There are a variety of reasons a patient won’t take their medication as prescribed. Here are a few most common reasons we see:
- Not understanding the directions
- Forgetfulness
- Unpleasant side effects
- Getting confused from taking multiple medications (with different schedules)
- Can’t afford to fill their prescription OR taking less to make the prescription last longer
The Dangers of Not taking Medication as Prescribed
Many patients think that not taking their medicine as prescribed is not a big deal, but it can have some serious consequences. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that medication non-adherence causes 30-50% of chronic disease treatment failures and results in 125,000 deaths per year in the United States.
Disease and medication conditions can progress dramatically if medications are not taken as prescribed. For example, if blood pressure medication is not taken at the same time every day, they run a high risk for kidney failure, stroke and heart disease. Situations similar to this, in turn, results in more emergency rooms visits and hospitalizations.
Strategies to Help you Take your Medication Correctly
The healthcare providers in Flower Mound TX (clinics also in Bedford, Benbrook, Boyd & Justin) at Your Family Medical are here to support you through treating your condition. Here are a few tips we’ve developed to help you take your medication as prescribed:
- Follow all medication directions. Reach out to your doctor to address all of your questions.
- If medication needs to be taken daily, set a phone timer as a reminder.
- Take your medication at the same time as other daily habits such as brushing your teeth or getting ready for bed.
- Create a medicine calendar and monitor each time you take a dose.
- Use a pill container and refill it every week.
- When traveling, bring more medication that you’ll need just in case you get delayed.
- When traveling by plane, keep your medications in your carry-on bag.
Healthcare Associates Flower Mound TX
From medication management to annual health exams and everything in between, we make it our priority to find simple and effective solutions for your health. If you have any questions about your medication routine, don’t hesitate to reach out to the doctors at Your Family Medical! We have clinics conveniently located in Bedford, Benbrook, Flower Mound, Boyd & Justin TX. We’re here for everyone in your family, no matter what life stage you’re in!
Call Our Medical Clinics:
Benbrook TX Clinic: 817-727-3331
Bedford TX Clinic: 817-283-6995
Flower Mound TX Clinic: 972-436-7531
Boyd TX Clinic: 940-279-7111
Justin TX Clinic: 940-648-1400
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute medical advice, nor does reading or accessing this information create a patient-provider relationship. Comments that you post will be shared with all visitors to this page. All comments are not governed by HIPAA and you should not post any private health information.
