Skipping your medication doses or completely missing them can lead to significant risks to your health. Yet, many people are careless about when and how often they take their meds.
Deliberately or accidentally missing a dose can lead to terrible consequences because not taking your medicine as prescribed can worsen symptoms and possibly hamper your treatment. Missing a dose of your drugs or not taking them altogether can trigger chemical changes in your body, leading to side effects.
Moreover, nonadherence to medication causes approximately 125,000 deaths each year and 10 percent of all hospitalizations at an annual minimum that charges $300 billion to the country’s health care system.
In this article, you will learn what happens if you don’t take your meds and why it is essential to take them as prescribed.
Why Do People Lack Medical Adherence?
In this article, we will look at medical adherence through the eyes of a board-certified family medicine physician and Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Jennifer Caudle DO.
According to their findings, skipping medicine happens all the time, and reasons vary from person to person. Here are some of the most common reasons:
- Financial difficulty
- Unpleasant side effects and their concerns for it
- Confusion on how it works
- Simple ignorance
Dr. Caudle emphasizes that another reason lies in the patient’s discomfort in taking these medications. Some may want to consider natural holistic solutions, and others don’t want treatment at all.
Of course, it is not productive to blame the patients for the lack of knowledge or the mindset that they can just stop taking medicine if they don’t feel any symptoms.
If You Don’t Take Your Meds, What Happens?
Taking medication for granted may result in slow disease progression, more complications, and, at worst, death. Remember that you are prescribed medication to provide relief, alleviate symptoms, and for health maintenance and illness prevention.
For instance, the top cause of death in men and women in the United States is cardiovascular disease. According to the American Heart Association, not taking the prescribed medicines may impose “serious consequences,” including a 50 to 80 percent mortality risk and 40 percent hospitalization. When you stop taking blood pressure medicine, you will make your condition a lot worse, and quickly.
Stopping particular medications without the advice of your doctor might cause severe harm and unpredictable side effects.
How Should You Take Your Meds?
According to Dr. Jennifer Caudle, the main reason why people fail to stick to their medicine is simply that they forget the schedule. You can counter this problem by using pillboxes that keep medications organized and clearly show if they have been taken that day.
She recommends using technology that patients can use, such as a medication reminder app. By using an app for your medicine list, you can very easily keep track of your meds. You will be able to stick to your medication schedule, and you will even remember when it’s time to ask for a prescription refill.
Final Thoughts
To keep track of your medication, remember that communication with your doctor is the answer. Listen to what they have to say, and do what they tell you to. Remember, our health is a priority, and it’s worth the effort to take care of it.
If you are looking for the best medication tracker app, download MedManage today. MedManage offers solutions for both patients and caregivers, including monitoring chronic diseases, birth control pill reminders, geriatric care management, and help against substance abuse. Learn more about other app features by contacting us today.