by KYW's medical editor Dr. Brian McDonough
It is a major health problem: people not taking medications as they're prescribed, or as consistently as they should.
According to a new report, poor medication adherence could be costing the country $177 billion in medical bills and lost productivity.
There's many issues. In fact, there are a number of layers of things that are problematic. First of all, it's not always easy to read the prescription directions. Many times they're confusing. When you get your prescription from the pharmacy, they're could be all sorts of paperwork or things stapled or glued to the prescriptions.
In addition to that, many people don't believe they have to take their medications. For instance, people with high blood pressure don't take their medications as much as 51 percent of the time, despite the fact that high blood pressure could triple the risk of heart disease down the road.
The bottom line is that people need to be educated about the medications they're taking and buy into it to feel they're part of the solution.
Read Dr. Brian McDonough's Daily Medical Reports
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