What Makes People Stop Taking Medication
Posted on April 2nd, 2007 by garyPosted in News
A recent study published in USAToday showed an alarming number of people stopped taking their prescribed medication.
About 50% of people fail to take medication as directed
USA Today on Thursday examined how multiple studies have shown that only about half of people with chronic conditions in the U.S. and other developed countries continue to take medication as directed. For example, a study published in the January issue of Drugs & Aging found that 20% to 30% of patients taking daily or weekly osteoporosis medication quit six to 12 months after they began. A similar study published in the January issue of Cancer found that 22% of breast cancer patients taking the drug tamoxifen to reduce the risk of recurrence stopped taking the medication by the end of one year. The study also found that more than one-third of patients had stopped taking tamoxifen after three-and-a-half years.
The study was clearly inconclusive and needs follow up. Was it an opposition to western medicine or are HMO/insurance plans to blame.
Popularity: 5% [?]
