Eyedrops: Stay on Target
Photo Credit: grendelkhan
Who could deny themself a treatment that would improve/extend their life?
The answer will surprise you.
Every day millions of Americans fail to take their prescribed medications. It's been estimated that nearly half of all patients receiving drugs to treat their high blood pressure cease taking the pills within a year. Same goes for cholesterol medication, too!
Prescription eyedrops have an equally dismal record.
The problem has two names: drug adherence and patient compliance. Folks simply don't keep up with their medications, and the likelihood of noncompliance grows with the number of prescriptions. Three or more prescriptions and life gets very complicated.
There are plenty of good reasons: forgetfulness, complex instructions, finances (rising co-pays), unwanted drug side effects, and poor patient education regarding the need to continue taking the medication.
Here's a great example: many glaucoma patients stop taking their eyedrops because they don't see any better - no perceived benefit. The problem is that the drops are not intended to restore vision, rather preserve vision, and they can't do that sitting in the back of medicine cabinet.
Nearly 90% of seniors cannot accurately recite their daily pill schedule. Most 10-day courses of antibiotics never empty the bottle.
The best solutions to improved patient compliance involve communications. Health care providers know about this vexing problem. They are supposed to ask you about your medications with every visit. During busy clinic visits some things get overlooked. A six-month follow-up appointment isn't quality 'follow-up' is it? In reality the doctor often writes a Rx that never gets filled.
Having trouble staying on-schedule with your medications? Tell your doctor or nurse practitioner. Some medications can be combined. Other dosages can be consolidated (switch from 4x per day to a once-daily pill). Generics can save you plenty of money. What good is an expensive, cutting-edge medication if you don't take it? Drug substitutions may eliminate unwanted side effects.
Don't deny yourself the care you deserve. Effective remedies are available; all you need to do is ASK!
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: eyedrops, drug adherence, patient compliance, glaucoma, vision, health-and-wellness
3 Comments:
One problem I find with taking medications regularly is getting the refills timely. If you belong to an HMO, like I do, it can take days sometimes to get refills authorized. I don't know what the big deal is that doctors don't perscribe enough to last longer than a month (for most meds.). Very frustrating when you have to stop, call the scripts in, and then wait for approval, and then go pick them up.
I found the "90% of seniors" statistic a little stunning. I think perhaps we need to develop reminder sytems to support patient adherence.
Maybe a phone or internet based sytems where a small fee is tacked onto the prescription cost.
I am going to be 60 this year, am I a 'senior'? Probably so, huh.... I take L-thyroxine, Lantus, Lisinopril, Oscal-D, Nephro-Vite, Iron, Fish Oil, Norvasc, and Lovastatin daily. I follow the minimum hours between the L-thyroxine, calcium, and iron. I have no problem with this schedule; I guess I am super-compliant. I figure if I don't do what I'm supposed to, I'll be dead, sooner rather than later. Heck of a motivation! I am an HMO patient, too, and try to allow 7-10 days for refills. This is my responsibility and no one else's.
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