COVER STORY
A TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW: How medication cost and side effects can affect your health, and how your primary care doctor can help. For the average American, medications are one of the most beneficial, yet one of the most burdensome aspects of daily health maintenance. From the pharmacist, to the health plan, to the provider, there is an increasingly heavier emphasis placed on taking medications correctly and on time.
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hile it may not seem important, medication adherence, or taking your medication as prescribed, may be one of the most impactful strategies to prevent disease progression. According to the World Health Organization, medication non-adherence can account for up to 50% of treatment failure and over 25% of hospitalizations each year. In addition, if left untreated, disease states can progress and significantly impact health, leading to worsening symptoms, hospitalizations, and even death. So, let’s take a closer look into medication adherence and what you can do to take control of your own health.
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WHAT IS MEDICATION ADHERENCE: Medication adherence is defined as taking a medication exactly as prescribed 100% of the time. Therefore, medication non-adherence can be as simple as forgetting to take the evening dose of a medication a few times a month. Even missing medications occasionally has been shown to negatively impact patient outcomes. While taking medications as prescribed may sound straightforward, there are many reasons why patients may become “non-adherent”, and often the fix is not always simple. Becoming adherent requires open communication between the patient and their health care management team, as well as dedication from
