Doctors usually assume that if their patients would only take their medicine as prescribed, they would get better. The problem is that only about half of all those getting a prescription follow through on it properly.
Many Studies Have Looked at the Problem
Public health officials have wondered how to get people to take their medicine, and many studies have been conducted to try to solve this problem.
A new analysis from the Cochrane Collaboration, an international group of highly trained volunteers using sophisticated standardized techniques, shows that too many of the studies on medication adherence are not very well designed. Out of 182 that were considered for the analysis, fewer than 10 percent were of high quality.
Even the best studies did not necessarily show that when people take their medicines they have better health. Only 5 out of 182 trials found that enhanced adherence led to better outcomes.
That might be where future research needs to focus most strongly, as people are unlikely to keep doing something difficult unless it offers obvious rewards.
[Cochrane Library, Nov. 20, 2014]
The analysis does not mention whether patients were involved in the decision of whether a prescription would be the best approach. Perhaps collaborative decision-making or a participatory approach to medicine might be considered in future studies aimed at improving outcomes through medication.
It also did not indicate whether patients reported uncomfortable side effects from their prescriptions, and if so, how those concerns were addressed. That sometimes can make a big difference in whether or not people are willing to follow through on taking their medicine.
