Take Your Medicines as Prescribed
Managing your medicines means taking them as prescribed by your doctor. You must take the right amount of medicine at the right times. You must take your medicines for as long as your doctors says to and not longer. There are several reasons why this is important:
Taking medicines the right way helps you
- It helps you stay safe and healthy
- If you have a temporary sickness, you will get better faster
- If you have a chronic condition, it will help manage your symptoms
Taking medicines the wrong way can hurt you
- It can make you sicker, put you in the hospital and even endanger your life
- It may take you longer to get better from a temporary sickness
- If you have a chronic condition, it can make your symptoms worse, which makes you feel worse
Do you have trouble managing your medicines?
If so, you are not alone. About two-thirds of adults in the US take prescription medicines. Of those, around half do not take their medicines as directed.
There are many reasons that people don’t take their medicines the right way. Some of the most common are:
- Not understanding how to take medicines
- Confusion from having multiple medicines
- Forgetting to take doses at the right time
- Side effects that cause unpleasant feelings
- Doubt that the medicine is working
- Cost when someone is struggling financially
Do any of these reasons keep you from taking your medicine correctly? If so, visit our “Tips for Taking Medicines as Prescribed” page. There you will find practical strategies for taking medicines the right way.