Are We Taking Our Meds?

Medication adherence: How many people on medications take a "holiday"? A lot, according to a 1998 study conducted by Johns Hopkins University. Funded by Dupont Merck, the study found that out of the 665 people in the study who took more than one medication, 43% acknowledged they had not taken all their prescription drugs for the week preceding the study. Furthermore, more than 25% had skipped doses or took none on the day before their interviews.(1) Why is it so difficult for people to have adherence to a medication regimen?

Lifestyle Barriers-

Perhaps one of the greatest reasons an individual has adherence issues with medication instructions is the medications themselves interfere with a normal daily routine:

- Medications may cost so much that the person must alter his leisure and socialization activities in order to afford them.

- Medications may have contradictory instructions.

For instance, two medications may be taken twice a day but they can't be taken at the same time twice a day because one requires no food and the other one requires that you take it after you've eaten.

- Some medications may require you take them frequently or you take many pills per day. Having to halt your schedule to take a medication can be annoying, but may also impact interaction with and perception of fellow students or classmates, co-workers, supervisors, or friends.

- Duration of treatment may be lengthy. According to Harold Gottlieb, PhD, in an article, "Medication Non-adherence: Finding Solutions to a Costly Medical Problem", there is a correlation between length of treatment and willingness of the patient to finish all necessary medication.(2)

- Side effects may hinder the person's willingness to take the medication. Side effects may require that the patient halt or decrease certain activities.