Medication non-adherence or non-compliance is extremely common and is responsible for several unnecessary complications and treatment failures. In spite of the magnitude of the problem, it remains frequently over-looked as most doctors receive little training for identifying or coping with such behavior. This article tries to unearth the causes of non-adherence and the tools for dealing with non-compliant patients. Non-adherence can cause approximately 100,000 preventable deaths every year.
It is estimated that nearly 40-50% of the patients do not comply with prescribed medications for diabetes and hypertension. Noncompliant behavior can frequently interfere with treatment and can lead to severe consequences. It has also been observed in clinical trials where only 43 to 78 percent of the patients adhere to the treatment regimen. Studies have shown that even in serious medical conditions…
