Do you take prescribed medication? If you live in the UK, it’s estimated that approximately half of us take prescription medication. The most commonly prescribed medication we take as a nation is:
- Medication to treat high blood pressure
- Medication to treat high cholesterol
- Painkillers
Are you taking your medicines?
Medication can be very effective in the management of medical conditions, curing, reducing or preventing disease and easing symptoms. However, in 2011 a study found that the full benefits of taking medication are often not fully realised because about 50% of patients do not take them as prescribed.
If you take medication you probably know how easy it is, on a busy day, to forget or miss a dose or even take it at a different time of day to when it is prescribed. However, all of these could cause the medication not to work or cause you harm.
Medication that is not taken as prescribed can produce poor health outcomes and in some cases, these can be severe. Non-adherence could lead to nerve damage or kidney failure in diabetes patients, or increased risk of heart attack or stroke in hypertensive (high blood pressure) patients.
Carers and medication
There are also millions of carers in the UK who look after ill, older or disabled family members. In 2011, it was estimated that there were approximately 6 million carers in the UK and that this is expected to rise to approximately 9 million carers by 2037.
Care for others can involve simple, practical help with medication from a simple reminder to take it, to helping to administer the medication to the person they are looking after.
The Carers Trust, Epilepsy Society, PsychCentral, Caregiver Space, Diabetes.co.uk and the American Heart Association all say that setting reminders is a great way to ensure medication is taken at the right times.
Medication plays a very important role in good health and taking it at the right time, in the right way is essential.
Evergreen Life Medication Diary & Reminders
The Evergreen Life Personal Health Record app allows you to record your medication, set reminders on when to take it and provides a full medication diary so you, your carer or your health professionals can track what medication was taken (or not taken) and when.
NHS Choices. 2014. Almost half of all adults take prescription drugs.
Brown & Bussell. 2011. Medication Adherence: WHO Cares?
Thomas. 2012. Why don’t patients take their meds as prescribed?
CarersUK. 2014. Facts about carers.
Carers Trust. 2014. A Carers Guide to Managing Medicines.
