The Importance of Medication Adherence & Resources for You

Did you know that 3 out of 4 people do NOT take their medications as directed? Or that 1 out of 3 people never fill their prescriptions and over 125,000 people die every year due to not taking their medications as directed? When medications are not taken as directed, this is called non-adherence.

This costs the U.S. $290 billion per year and a third of medication-related hospital admissions are linked to poor adherence. Medication non-adherence is a major public health issue.

If you don’t take your medications as directed, especially if you have a chronic condition, you’re putting your health and future at risk. Medication adherence means fewer doctor visits, fewer emergency room visits, better quality of life, and a longer and healthier life. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to make sure you understand how your medications can help you.

Need help starting a conversation? Here are some questions to ask your doctor/pharmacist:

1. What’s my medicine called and what does it do?
2. How and when should I take it? And for how long?
3. What if I miss a dose?
4. Are there any side effects?
5. Is it safe to take it with other medicine or vitamins?
6. Can I stop taking it if I feel better?

Are you or someone you know non-adherent to their medications? Here are some tips to improve medication adherence:

• Develop a schedule or system that fits your normal routine/pair medication with an activity
• Use daily or weekly pill boxes
• Use an alarm
• Post reminder notes
• Ask the pharmacy about bubble packaging
• Use delivery/mail order systems
• Ask to change to a more tolerable medication if there are side effects
• One trip refills i.e. syncing medications to one pick up date
• Asking for a 90 day supply instead of 30
• Sign up for automatic refills and refill reminder phone calls/texts
• www.ScriptYourFuture.org provides tools and resources to help you take your medicine—like text message reminders

Be in control of your health and script YOUR future! Take the pledge today and take your meds! “I WILL take my meds”

Additional free resources:

• Take the pledge online: http://www.scriptyourfuture.org/take-the-pledge/
• Sign up text message reminders: http://www.scriptyourfuture.org/get-medicine-reminder/
• Resources for managing asthma and COPD: http://www.scriptyourfuture.org/respiratory/
• Resources for managing blood pressure and high cholesterol: http://www.scriptyourfuture.org/cardiovascular/
• Resources for managing diabetes: http://www.scriptyourfuture.org/diabetes/
• Merck Adherence Estimator®: http://www.adherenceestimator.com/