The advancement in medicine is undeniable. What used to be incurable and cause for many deaths is now prevented by simply taking medication. What matters though is taking the right medicine at the right time because otherwise, there could be complications.
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What is compliance? Adherence to medical prescriptions and instructions.
In industrialized countries, around 15% of the population has to take several medicines over a long period of time. This leads to difficulties in remembering prescriptions and schedules, in recognizing different medicines, in understanding labels and prescription and handling procedures.
Not taking the right medicines, at the right time, in the right quantities, in the right way, for the prescribed periods and durations, leads to serious problems:
- 75% of non-healings and relapses
- increased consumption of medication (due to duplication of prescriptions)
- increased hospitalisations
- increased visits to the doctor
- increased absenteeism
- increased disability
- and also very high direct and indirect costs.
A study in France has shown that this non-compliance affects 2/3 of people.
