(NAPSA)—Whensick patients don’t respond to their medicine, doctors have questions. “Are patients not responding to the prescribed therapy? Or are they not taking their medicine in the prescribed manner?” Several studies exploring this question underline the extent of the problem. A study of 17,685 patients covered by Medicare done by the Kaiser Family Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund found that four out of 10 seniors were not taking medications as prescribed. A Harris Interactive online survey of 2,507 U.S. adults in 2005 found that 33 percent of those who are prescribed drugs to take on a regular basis reported that they “often” or “very often” don’t take their prescribed medication or treatment regimens for a numberof reasons. Lack of medication adherence, as health expertscall this issue, is a major public health problem. Consequences of lack of medication adherence may include substantial worsening of disease, pre- ventable death, unnecessary hospitalization and increased health care costs. It’s a problem that affects people regardless of Adherence Facts and Figures Forty percent of U.S.seniors do not take their medicines as prescribed. Onein three U.S. adults admit they often don’t take their prescription medicines. Lack of medication adherencecosts the U.S. economy $100billion annually. @ 3. How long do I need to take my medication? 4. What are the side effects? What should I do if I have side effects? 5. Are there certain medications I need to avoid? In addition, there are several things patients and caregivers can do at home to decrease interruptions to the prescription medication routine: 1. Use pillboxes or other special medication holders to organize your medications by hour, day and week so you can see if you have missed a day or a dose. 2. Link taking your medica- tions with a routine event, such as brushing your teeth or shaving. 3. Keep your medications in a familiar place so they arethe first are enormous. The estimated thing you see in the morning. If you have to take your medication with meals, keep them in a safe place in the kitchen. from lack of medication adherence is $100 billion. This is a result of phone calls at certain times, an ethnicity, incomelevelor sex. In addition, the financial costs annual cost to the U.S. economy medication-related hospital and nursing home admissions,lost productivity and premature death. Addressing the issue requires increased education and aware- ness of the importance of medica- tion adherence. Patients, or family caregivers who haveresponsibility for others, should always make sure to ask the doctor: 1. How often should I take my medication and when? 2. What are the benefits of taking this medication? 4, Consider using reminder devices like an alarm from cell automatic pill dispenser with a sound alarm, or a pager to help you remember when to take your medications. 5. Keep a checklist to remind you to take your medicines each day. 6. Plan ahead andgive yourself enough time to refill your prescription before the current one runs out. This information is brought to you by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuti- cals LP.
