Taking medications as prescribed is critical to improving health outcomes – especially for patients living with chronic diseases – yet many Canadians are unable to do so for a variety of reasons. On average, 20-30 percent of prescriptions in Canada are never filled. When prescriptions are filled, nearly 26 percent of Canadians admit to taking medications differently than prescribed, while 21 percent say they’ve stopped taking medications before advised, or without consulting their doctor.

This can have serious consequences, both clinically and economically. Medication non-adherence results in billions of avoidable costs for healthcare systems around the world, due to repeated hospital admissions and increased physician visits.

“Medications are prescribed in a particular way to optimize health outcomes,” said Dr. Naila Kassam, primary care physician and Think Research’s Senior Medical Advisor. “Whether it’s a certain dose to be taken at certain times, or at a specified frequency, it’s all very important. Unfortunately, failure to take medications as prescribed can cause diseases and health conditions to worsen, so it’s important to think about patient considerations such as cost and dosing frequency when starting a new medication.”

Visit the Think Research website to read the full press release.