To Take or Not to Take

1
Script for medications We are sick. We go to a
doctor and are given a script for medications to
take to make us better. But almost one-third of
us never take that script to a pharmacy, and over
50 of us end up not taking our medication as
prescribed. But why does this happen? Is it
because most of us believe we know better than
our doctor? Mistrust is one of the top reasons
for medication non adherence, but other, more
genuine explanations include the cost of the
medication, side effects. Doctors who take the
time at the point of prescribing to ask their
patient What would make it worthwhile for you
to take this medication in the next month? may
be able to pre-empt any non adherence issues and
allow their patient to open up about any fears,
values or social pressures. Physicians could then
use that information to modify treatment
decisions or simplify medication regimens to
ensure the best outcome for their
patients. Best results If you are the patient,
the only way you will get the best results from
your medication is to take it exactly as
instructed by your doctor. And give your
medicines a chance to do their job. If for some
reason you are not able to do this, then you
should ring your doctor and explain why you
cant, for example, because of side effects or
lack of a perceived benefit. The worst thing you
can do is pretend that you are taking your
medication as prescribed because then your
doctor does not have a true picture of what is
happening and may escalate the dose of your
medicine unnecessarily or schedule you for
further investigations. Both may result in
potential harm for you and increased costs
overall. So, if you are prescribed medications,
take them as directed, or be honest and come
clean with your doctor. Because getting on top of
your condition requires a team effort.