Doctors prescribe medicines to manage chronic conditions and improve your quality of life. Still, it will only take effect properly if you adhere to your medication routine – from taking your medicine at the right dose, time, in the appropriate way, and frequency. Failing to follow your doctor’s orders can lead to hospitalization, your disease getting worse, and even death in worst-case scenarios.
Unfortunately, it’s an everyday reality as an average of 70 percent of patients in the U.S. don’t take their medications as prescribed. At the same time, 700,000 people experience adverse effects due to incorrect medication administration. Fortunately, a healthy industry has found modern ways to introduce a seamless way to manage medication for patients across the world.
What is Medication Management?
Seeing the need to provide a solution for individuals who struggle with prescription drugs, medication management is a growing service that is designed to assist senior living communities and regular adults to take their treatment on time and at the right amount.
It comes in the form of a reminder device or an app like MedManage, which logs in information regarding your medication history and instructions to prompt the forgetful elderly to take medications correctly daily. To that end, medication management apps are becoming a necessity due to the following reasons:
Reasons Medication Management is Important
- Approximately 70 percent of Americans are taking at least one prescription medication, while 40 percent take up most of the percentage.
- In addition to a large percentage of senior citizens taking prescription drugs, most of the elderly between 65 to 69 years old have multiple medications in their roster, taking nearly 14 prescriptions per year. Meanwhile, seniors aged between 80 to 84 total an average of 18 orders annually, according to the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists.
- Seeing as prescription drugs pile up one after another, more drugs that add to the list will make it even more challenging to keep track, especially for forgetful senior citizens. The high volume of medication can boost the risk of making potential mistakes in the time and dosage, so incorporating medication management apps like MedManage becomes more critical than ever to promote a strict routine.
- Failing to stick to manage your medication can lead to detrimental drug reactions. Unfortunately, the importance of complying with a medication schedule tends to slip from the minds of older adults who are 65-years-old and above.
Improper drug management increases the frequency of emergency room visits while reducing the effectiveness of treating chronic illnesses. Not to mention, mixing up over-the-counter drugs can also lead to severe hospitalizations and higher costs of recovery in every way – physically, mentally, and financially.
The Bottom Line: Managing Your Prescription Drugs Can Maximize the Effectiveness of Your Medication
Integrating medication management devices like MedManage ensures adults and senior citizens can adhere to their routine and keep track of all the medication they need to take at the right time and dosage.
If you’re looking for a great medication reminder app, get in touch with us today to see how we can help.