As healthcare providers, we often judge patients, residents or consumers as noncompliant with a sneer on our faces. We seem to think that we are the only ones who know how to manage these individual’s lives safely.
While not taking your medications or treatments correctly can lead to dire circumstances like hospitalization and death, as healthcare providers we do not consider the big picture. Patients do not take their medications for many reasons. Some of those are:
As a healthcare consumer, challenge your healthcare provider every time you get a prescription refilled or receive a new prescription. Make sure you understand why you are taking the medication. You may no longer need it because your body or the disease process changed. Be honest with your healthcare provider if you are not taking a medication. They may increase the dose or add another medication because they feel the initial one was not effective. What actually happened was that the medication was not being taken. Do not let the provider coerce you into medications as the solution. There may be other alternatives that are safer.
Often the side effects of medications are worse than the condition or disease that is being treated. For instance, blood pressure medication often leads to impotence or sexual dysfunction. Medications used to treat the pain and inflammation of arthritis can lead to ulcers and stomach bleeding. Many medications have side effects of nausea, indigestion, and constipation. If you see changes like these, talk to your healthcare provider about the symptoms rather than alter or stop the medication on your own.
As always, be your own best advocate. Ask questions until you are certain you understand. If you get home and cannot remember, call the pharmacy or contact me for additional information. While the internet is a source of information do not rely on it as your sole source of information.