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German The Horrors Of Missed Medication
Although it may sound obvious, managing your medications is incredibly important, but not everyone does. However, they might not realise that not managing their medications could lead to severe consequences.
“Every year in the European Union an estimated 200,000 people die as a result of not following their medication regime properly.”
Medication non-adherence, or in simpler terms, not taking your medications as prescribed (by the person who wrote your prescription, i.e. a GP) costs the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds every year.
There are many reasons why people don’t take their medication as it is prescribed, which means there is no single solution. Some of the reasons could be that they are suffering from forgetfulness, worried about the side effects, or perhaps are feeling better and believe they no longer need the medicine, or because they felt like it wasn’t helping them get better.
Before you stop any prescribed medication, it’s important to consult with your doctor or pharmacist. They are qualified in helping to discuss any concerns you may have and may be able to help you manage any side effects being experienced. It can be dangerous to stop the prescribed medication suddenly, so always seek qualified medical advice before considering this.
Taking your medicine as prescribed or medication adherence is essential for controlling chronic conditions, treating temporary conditions, and overall long-term health and well-being. Understanding why you’re taking the medication, how it needs to be taken and what side effects could arise is a good first step in creating a healthier relationship with your medications.
One of the keys to the successful management of medications is consistency. You need to ensure you are building a routine around your medications, ensuring that you are taking them at the correct times of day or night (often stated on your prescription, but if in doubt, ask your GP or pharmacist). Making an effort to do this will help to form healthy habits over time and help improve the effectiveness of the prescribed medications.
If you or a loved one are still struggling with manually managing medications, then you may want to consider a smart medication management product like YOURmeds.
YOURmeds is filled and dispensed by local independent pharmacies and helps you take the right medication at the right time with support from your network of family and friends.
