18210 S La Grange Rd #101
Tinley Park, IL 60487Monday - Thursday: 9am - 6pm
Friday: 9am - 5 pm | Closed on Saturday & SundayMedication Adherence
Medication Adherence: it’s important to take your medication correctly
Medication adherence (or taking your medication correctly) is usually defined as “the extent to which a person takes medications as prescribed by their health care providers”.
If you have a chronic health condition, one of the best ways to manage your condition is by taking your medication as directed by your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider. Not taking medication as prescribed is called non-adherence, which may lead to other health problems; especially if you have asthma, diabetes, or high blood pressure. For example, not keeping your blood pressure stable can lead to heart disease, stroke, and or kidney failure; not keeping diabetes under control can lead to amputation, blindness, and or heart disease.
If you have any questions regarding your medications– how they work, their side effects or other concerns, give our pharmacist a call at (708) 995-7290 or visit Tinley Park Pharmacy, located inside the Advocate Medical Southwest Campus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is medication non-adherence? Medication non-adherence is defined as not taking your medication as prescribed by your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider. For example:
– Not filling a new prescription.
– Failing to refill a prescription on time.
– Omitting a dose or multiple doses of the medication.
– Taking more of a medication than prescribed.
– Prematurely discontinuing medication (with out speaking with your health care provider).
– Taking a medication at the wrong time.
– Taking a medication prescribed for someone else.
– Taking your medication with prohibited foods, liquids and other medications.
– Taking expired medications.
– Taking damaged medications.
– Storing medications improperly.
– Not using medication administration devices properly, such as inhalers.
Why don’t patients take their medicines as prescribed? Taking medication correctly seems like a simple task, but non-adherence is a common problem. There are many reasons why you may not take your medication as directed – including forgetfulness, being unsure if the medication will work, fear of side effects, being unable to administer the medication (especially with injections or inhalers) and cost of the medication, or a combination of these reasons.
What can I do to minimize the cost of my medication? The cost of medication and co-payments are common reasons you may not take your medication as directed. You should check with your health insurance provider about your prescription drug coverage, and make sure you are getting the most out of it. You should also check with your doctor or pharmacist regarding generic medication availability. At Tinley Park Pharmacy, we are able to assist you with your medication costs and offer very competitive prices. Ask our pharmacist how we can help by calling (708) 995-7290.