Medications save lives for countless Americans. People with chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and HIV can enjoy a good quality of life when they routinely take their medicine. Poor medication adherence is linked with poor clinical outcomes. While these facts may seem obvious, a staggering one half of patients in the US stop taking their medications within one year of being prescribed.

The reasons for “medication non-adherence” are varied. Affordability, a lack of understanding of the importance of the medications, and unpleasant side effects are some examples patients cite for not taking their medication as directed. Beyond increased mortality, the result costs the United States billions of dollars a year. Hospital admission rates increase for non-adherent patients with chronic illness by up to 69 percent

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Medication non-adherence means not following the directions your doctor gave you for how often, how much and how long to take your medication. Premier HealthNet’s Dr. Michael Dulan talks more about medical non-adherence. Find more answers to frequently asked questions about health literacy at http://www.premierhealthnet.com/familyhealth.
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