When people are prescribed a new medication, either as a short course or to treat a long-term condition, it can be difficult to know when, where and how to take it, which can potentially lead to skipping doses or not using certain applicators correctly.
This issue, known in the profession as adherence, is a concern for many medications, which need to be carefully managed in the body to have the right effect and avoid potentially very harmful side effects.
Such is the concern about adherence that many pharmacies take part in an NHS scheme to help people with long-term prescriptions get into the habit of taking vital medication.
The NHS new medicines service is an opportunity to get free help and advice over the first few weeks of your new long-term prescription to use the medication correctly, safely and consistently, typically taking place over three appointments.
A lot of people struggle with adhering to their prescriptions, and there are a lot of reasons beyond simple forgetfulness that are important to look into, as well as steps that can be taken to help.
Fear
One of the biggest reasons why people struggle to adhere to prescriptions is fear, which can be a simple and basic aversion or something more complex.
This is a particular issue with diabetes medication because that typically requires the use of injection pens which can be worrying for people who have a phobia of needles or have
coordination troubles that make them anxious about correctly injecting themselves.
Pharmacies will listen and provide support, the NMS will be able to help early in the treatment, and talking to your GP will help with concerns.
Fear can manifest in other ways, such as concerns about side effects, and in that regard, it is key that doctors should explain what to expect and what they can do to help reduce any discomfort, as well as be clear as to how it works and why it is important.
This can also avoid more tangential concerns such as a fear of medicine dependency, as a doctor can explain the reason why they need to take it and offer advice.
Complex Schedules
Sometimes, medication routines can be quite complex, particularly if there are a lot of medicines that need to be taken at different times of the day.
If possible, a doctor will prescribe medicines that can all be taken together, and buying a pillbox that you can regularly organise can make it a lot easier to sort out your doses and when you need to take them.
Not Feeling The Need
One issue after someone has started to take their prescription for a while is that they are taking pills or injecting themselves for what feels like no benefit.
In reality, prescription medicines are there to prevent and control symptoms, and not taking medication can be quite harmful indeed.
One example of this is taking Wegovy for weight loss; once someone reaches their goal weight, they still have to take it because it becomes so easy to regain weight once a person stops taking it again.