Health Tips

Taking medication correctly and on time might seem like a small and simple matter. However, among patients with chronic illness, approximately 50% do not take medications as prescribed.¹Medication adherence has become a growing concern to clinicians, healthcare systems, and other stakeholders (eg, payers) because of mounting evidence that nonadherence is prevalent and associated with adverse outcomes and higher costs of care. Factors contributing to poor medication adherence are countless and can be grouped into these few categories:

Why is it important? ³

Compliance of medication is important for conditions ranging from mild diseases to chronic diseases like noncommunicable diseases. It is the primary factor which ensures higher success rate in elimination of disease or delay progression of certain diseases.

Consequences of medication non -adherence

1. Worsening of existing medical conditions which result in further complications.

   1. High blood pressure: uncontrolled high blood pressure will lead to heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, kidney disease and vascular dementia.^4,6
   2. Chronic coronary artery disease: nonadherence to cardioprotective medications was associated with a 10% to 40% relative increase in risk of cardiovascular hospitalizations and a 50% to 80% relative increase in risk of mortality.¹
   3. Diabetes: Uncontrolled diabetes will take a toll on nearly every organ of your body, including heart and blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nerves and others.⁵
2. Reduced functional abilities and lower quality of life ³
3. Reduced productivity (work, school, etc)⁷
4. Antibiotic resistance or severe relapses ⁸ 
5. Increased healthcare costs due to ^2,3:
   1. Emergency department visits and hospitalisation
   2. Nursing home admissions
   3. More frequent doctor visits
   4. Need of more complicated treatment resources (medications, medical equipment, etc)
6. An increase in long-term cost of living⁷
7. Increased burden to the family due to disease progression/complications⁷
8. Premature deaths⁷
9. Waste of medication⁹

Ways to improve  ^3,10

*Allow identification of patients at risk of non-adherence and targeting them for intervention with a more systematic and universal follow-up approach

To learn more, please visit these websites:

https://www.myhealthmylife.com.my/                 https://www.menshealth.com.my/

References:

1. Ho PM, Bryson CL, Rumsfeld JS. Circulation. 2009; 119: 3028-3035.
2. World Health Organization. 2003. Adherence To Long-term Therapies: Evidence for action. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/42682/9241545992.pdf Accessed on 19 October 2020.
3. Jimmy B, Jose J. Oman Med. J. 2011; 26(3): 155-169.
4. Ho PM, Magid DJ, Shetterly SM, et al. Am. Heart J. 2008; 155(4): 772-779.
5. WebMD. How Does Diabetes Affect Your Body? Available at: https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/ riskscomplications-uncontrolled-diabetes#:~:text=Uncontrolled%20diabetes%20means%20your%20blood,to%20your%20diabetes.%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD. Accessed on 19 October 2020
6. NHS. High blood pressure (hypertension). Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-blood-pressurehypertension/. Accessed on 19 October 2020.
7. My Health My Life. Medication Adherence Value. Available at: https://www.myhealthmylife.com.my/index.php/medication/medications-adherence-value. Accessed on 20 October 2020
8. Tong S, Pan J, Lu S, Tang J. Am. J. Infect. Control. 2018; 48: e25-e29.
9. Almanie SA. 2015. Economic Impact of Waste in Prescribing, Dispensing, and Medication Consumption in the United States. MSc thesis, Kuwait University. Available at: https:// scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4739&context=etd. Accessed on 19 October 2020.
10. Brown MT, Bussell JK. Mayo Clin. Proc. 2011; 86(4): 304-314.

Written By

Ms. Charlotte Lee

Reviewed By

Doc2us Medical Board