Your medicine cabinet is a mosaic of pills in all shapes, sizes and colors. But its not unique. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that at least 90 percent of Americans age 60 and older take one or more prescription drugs, and more than a third regularly take at least five of them.Trouble is, many patients on multiple medications dont take them as prescribed. As a result, they may not fully benefit from their medicines and, in some cases, may even put their health at risk.Typically, we see compliance decrease when patients are on five or more medications, says Mandy Leonard, PharmD, BCPS, system director of Drug Use Policy and Formulary Management with Cleveland Clinics Department of Pharmacy. Its a big problem across the board.
To continue reading this article or issue you must be a paid subscriber.
Sign in
