When you’re prescribed medication, you may initially take it as directed: at the right dosage, on the right day, at the right time.

After a few days, or even a few weeks, though, you may find it difficult to stay on top of things. You may miss a dose here or there; or you may find yourself stopping your medication altogether.

Even though you know you need to take your medication, it isn’t always that easy.

If this situation sounds familiar, you aren’t alone.

Seventy-five percent of Americans have trouble taking their medicine as directed — or maintaining medication adherence.

Luckily, there are resources available to help you stick to your medication regimen and make sure you get the most out of your treatment plan.

Read on to learn how to improve your medication adherence.
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What is Medication Adherence?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines medication adherence as “the degree to which the person’s behavior corresponds with the recommendations from a healthcare provider.”

When it comes to medication specifically, that means a patient takes a prescribed medication correctly.

Medication adherence includes:

• Initiating medication when prescribed
• Taking the medication at the recommended frequency (whether daily, twice a day, weekly, etc.)
• Following any other instructions for the medication, such as refrigerating it or taking it after a meal
• Discontinuing when medication is no longer needed

When you practice medication adherence, you see better health outcomes.
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What is Medication Nonadherence?

Conversely, if you aren’t adherent, you may face health challenges. For some, these challenges aren’t serious, but for others, they can be deadly.

In fact, estimates suggest that approximately 125,000 deaths per year in the United States are due to medication nonadherence.

Further, 33% to 69% of medication-related hospital admissions are due to poor adherence.

If you face difficulties sticking to your medication schedule, work with your doctor, local pharmacist, and/or trusted family and friends to improve your medication adherence.

Here are just a few strategies to do it.
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How to Improve Your Medication Adherence

1. Set a Time to Take Your Medications

If you find that you forget to take your medications, creating a new routine can be helpful. To this end, try scheduling a set time to take your medications every day.

When you establish a schedule, you may find it easier to stick to your medication regimen. In this case, consistency is key.
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2. Get Digital Reminders

For a fool-proof strategy against forgetfulness, try setting reminders on your phone to remember to take your medication.

You can also use reminders to refill your prescriptions or schedule your next appointment at the pharmacy.

If your pharmacy uses the RxLocal app, you can even get convenient text message reminders and updates straight from the pharmacists themselves, along with the capability to request refills and set your own medication reminders within the app.

With scheduled reminders, you can always stay in the know.
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3. Refill All Your Meds on the Same Day

If you struggle to get to the pharmacy to pick up each of your prescriptions, ask your pharmacist about a medication synchronization program.

Medication synchronization, shortened to med sync, is a program that many pharmacies offer to patients who take multiple prescriptions.

When you sign up for med sync, your pharmacist will fill all your monthly prescriptions for you on the same day and time.

This means that you only need to make one trip to the pharmacy to pick up your prescriptions, reducing the chance that you forget to go.
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4. Get a Pill Organizer

If you take multiple medications — on different days, at different times — a weekly pill organizer is a good solution.

Simply put your prescribed medications in each daily pillbox. If you take multiple pills, insert everything you take for each given day. When Tuesday comes, you can take the pills in Tuesday’s box, take the ones in Wednesday’s box on Wednesday and so on.

If you prefer a more advanced solution, these hold seven to 28 days’ worth of pills and dispense your pills automatically up to four times a day.

To learn more, ask your pharmacist about pill organizer options.
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5. Ask Your Pharmacist for Extra Help

If you struggle to implement any of these strategies, or if you’re just looking for extra support, talk to your pharmacist.

With a quick phone call or a trip to your local pharmacy, you can ask questions, share concerns, and get personalized advice on how to stick to your regimen.

Your pharmacist can also help you to fix any issues and eliminate any problems you may be having with your medication regimen 一 which will help you to overcome challenges and stick to your treatment plan.

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Conclusion

Medication adherence can be hard. With the right resources, though, it doesn’t have to be a burden.

Whether you need help managing a temporary illness or navigating a long-term condition, follow these steps to stay on the right track 一 then call on your community pharmacist to fill in the gaps.

Together, you can increase your adherence and improve your health outcomes.

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