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Taking medication exactly as your doctor recommends is not always as simple as it may seem. And, in fact, it can be quite complex. There are many factors that will make you either more or less likely to take your medication. Some of these factors include: how easy it is to take the medication how many times a day you have to take the medication your perception of the benefit of the medication your perception of the risks of not taking the medication the risks of taking the medication including having side effects the total number of pills you take in a day how well you perceive the medication to be working the cost of the medication Even if you decide you want to take a medication, it is not always easy to remember to take it.
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Not taking medications properly leads to unnecessary hospital admissions, illness, and even deaths. It also costs the health care system billions of dollars every year, in costs both direct (e.g., hospitalizations) and indirect (e.g., lost productivity). For example, about 5% of hospital admissions result directly from not taking medications as recommended.
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Unfortunately many people do not take their medications correctly. Some interesting statistics include: More than 50% of people do not take their medication as prescribed. 20% of people take less medication than prescribed by their doctor. 10% of people do not take any medication at all, even after purchasing the medication.
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