Why taking your medicines matters

1
Why taking your medicines matters

• Dr Ruth Goldstein
• goldsteinruth_at_aol.com
• 07976216326

2
Why are medicines prescribed?

• To give doctors something to do ?
• To keep pharmacists in employment ?
• To keep people in jobs in the drug companies?
• To keep packaging companies in business ?

3
To make people feel better ?

• 80 of people over 75 take 1 or more prescribed
  medicines
• 38 of people over 75 are prescribed 4 or more
  medicines
• 51 of people over 60 suffer from at least one
  chronic illness that requires long term regular
  medication

4
But we know people dont always take their
medicines as the prescriber intended
5
If patients took their medicines as intended by
the prescriber we would have no medicines
returned to the pharmacies except when a patient
dies before their current supply runs
out!BUT..
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We know thats not the case
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Why dont people take their medicines as intended?

• Intentional non compliance
• Dont think they are working
• Have adverse side effects
• Dont need anymore
• Non intentional non compliance
• Forget to take them
• Cant open packs
• Get confused

8
Its hard to remember if you dont feel unwell!

• Adherence to medicines for chronic conditions
  where there is no incentive (such as pain) is a
  problem for most people
• Medicine for chronic conditions such as high
  blood pressure and diabetes are often not taken
  regularly
• Dump campaigns receive over 50 returns for
  treatments for chronic conditions

9
What can be done to help people take their
medicines

• Doctors can give clear directions
• Pharmacists can re-iterate directions
• Pharmacists can print big labels/colour code
• Pharmacists can do a Medicine Use Review (MUR)
  for a patient to encourage adherence
• But none of these help in the patients home

10
What help is available in the patients home

• Ideally a parrot on someones shoulder reminding
  them and helping help.not very practical!
• Simplify regimen
• Reduce un-necessary medicines
• Give a MAAR chart
• Package in a special container
• Have someone there to prompt and assist at every
  dosage time

11
One size does not fit all!

• Need to understand the patients/client's
  problems with their medication
• Find most suitable solution
• Always start with a Medicine Use Review from a
  pharmacist to simplify regimen
• Start with the simple solutions and work upwards
• Try and maintain independence

12
If people get the right support with the medicine

• They will get better health outcomes
• They wont need to go to hospital as often (about
  10 of hospital admissions are medicine related)
• They wont waste so much government money on
  unused medicines
• They quality of life can improve as they are in
  less pain, more mobile, less breathless