Dr. Henry Domke is a Family Physician who has practiced in central Missouri for over two decades. He has always had a strong interest in disease prevention, health maintenance, and patient education. 
In addition to his practice of medicine, Dr. Domke takes Forty percent of patients do not comply with doctor’s advice on treatment. At least half the patients who've been given a prescription don't receive the full benefit of the drug because of not taking the drug at all, not taking the right dosage or stopping prematurely. For example, half of diabetic patients don't abide by their medication regimens and 40% of hypertensive patients don’t take their medications correctly. In the United States alone, non-adherence to medications causes 125,000 deaths annually and accounts for 10% to 25% of hospital and nursing home admissions.
Patient non-adherence is not limited to medications alone. It can also take many other forms; these include the failure to keep appointments, to follow recommended dietary or other lifestyle changes, and to follow other aspects of treatment or recommended preventive health practices. Why don’t physicians communicate better? The medical education system has taught physicians to view patients as disease puzzles to solve rather than as people to listen to.
Things you can do at home to improve compliance:
- Take medicine at the same time every day
- Take medicne along with meals or other daily events, like brushing your teeth
- Use special pill boxes that help you keep track, like the ones divided into sections for each day of the week, which can be found at a drugstore
- Ask people close to you to help remind you
- Some pharmacists will prepare blister paks for daily or weekly medications. Ask your pharmacist about this. These can be especially helpful if you are traveling.
Things you can do in the doctor’s office to improve compliance:
- Could a simpler regimen be used (such as once a day)?
- Would less expensive medicine work just as well?
- Understand your medication. Know what it's for, and how and when you're supposed to take it. Don’t be afraid of asking questions.
- If you have trouble understanding your physician or pharmacist, ask a friend or loved one to go with you and help you.
- If you don't feel like your medication is making a difference, talk to your physician and ask why.
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