More than half of prescriptions aren’t taken the right way
May 25, 2011
The National Council for Patient Information and Education estimates that more than 125,000 patients die each year because they don’t take their medication correctly, which means that there is a desperate need to correct the problems that lead to pill misuse.
One way to do so is to start using medical alarm systems, which can be programmed as a pill dispenser and alert patients when it’s time to take different doses with a distinct, medical alert.
Individuals should also consider what kind of health issues are causing the difficulty. Vision problems can make it harder to read instructions, while memory loss can lead to missed or double doses.
If a patient suffers from hearing impairment, it’s imperative that ears are corrected. Otherwise, doctors and nurses can have a hard time communicating their messages. Additionally, healthcare professionals can sometimes talk too fast to be understood – don’t hesitate to ask them to repeat themselves.
In these tough economic times, seniors have also started failing to adhere to medications due to financial difficulties. This is a time where it may be best to ask for a generic alternative to medication.
