pdlamb

I've heard a lot from various family members in the medical field about the headaches non-compliant patients cause. (For those that don't know, a highly compliant patient regularly takes all, or at least almost all, their medications as prescribed.)

So here's a question for everyone on long-term prescription medications. How compliant are you?

(Brought to mind because, although I normally take my pills as scheduled 95-98% of the time, I forgot my "evening" pill twice in the last week. Self-administered dope slap.)

And since it's about prescription meds, I expect a fair few posts from people to whom the "on long-term prescription medications" does not apply; please label your inane, off-topic posts as such.

Desert Ryder

I am on long term cardiac cocktail of meds. Morning and night pills. I missed my night meds twice this week. I try my best but sometimes life just gets a little busy and I forget.
Blood work, and everything else, always comes back good so I see no issues with following my med schedule.

_ForceD_

When it comes to antibiotics, I’m very compliant. I’ve read, and understand how bacteria can mutate and become antibiotic resistant. And, the medical professionals usually remind you of that when they prescribe the antibiotics. (Including with antibiotics for pets.) On the other hand, some meds other than antibiotics, I purposely don’t finish. In some cases, the doctor has said to me things like “I’ll prescribe you a week’s worth. But if you’re feeling better sooner, or if it isn’t working, you can stop them.”

Dan

jon c. 

Pain killers I take only as needed. For all other scripts I'm pretty good about maintaining schedules. Although I find that the older I get the easier it is to forget whether or not you have taken them on any given day.

We always laughed at the daily pill box organizers. They were for old folks. Suddenly they seem like a good idea.

pdlamb

Ain't that the truth!? Of course, the corollary is that I've double-dosed a couple times after filling the organizer. I finally learned to leave today's compartment unfilled and open when I refill the thing.

Champlaincycler

I take a statin that's recommended to take in the evenings. I could not do that consistently, too many distractions. I take it first thing in the morning now, right after getting out of bed and peeing. I never miss a dose. Dr. says it's only slightly less effective taken in the a.m. and a lot more effective if I am taking it daily rather than missing doses.

zandoval 

I have noted in my practice that Pillbox users are more compliant then non-pilbox users. At least they can tell me how many doses they forgot.

50PlusCycling

No pills yet, (knocks on wood). I discovered after moving to Japan that old people are different here. First, there are lots more of them, second, they seldom take pills. Obesity is uncommon in Japan, and diabetes is rare, less than one-fifth America’s level. My wife’s grandmother is pushing 100, yet all she takes is vitamins. You have to be pretty active to live in Japan, people don’t drive much, most people walk to stores and shops, and most houses have stairs.

Japanese aren’t avid exercisers, and they eat more salt than any other nationality. But they do move about a lot, and this frequent, low-intensity activity seems to make a difference. My daughter’s ski teacher is 81 years old this year, and I can’t keep up with him on the ski slopes. Most of the teachers are over 70. I hope to be as fit when I get to their age.

MikeWMass

I take 8 medications; one is twice daily and the rest once daily.
I take all in the morning before I brush my teeth, and the eveing one when I brush my teeth at night.
Keep the bottles lined up in the medicine cabinet, never miss a dose!

(I also take my statin in the morning, it doesn't matter for some of them).

seedsbelize2

Two medications, morning and evening. I keep alarms set on my phone. One of those meds is a ten day series.

skidder

100% compliant with both meds. Just prescription meds, no OTC 'snake oils' advertised on TV or the web as cure-alls for any number of aliments.

jadmt

I must be doing something wrong..I recently filled out my paper work for medicare and there was the page on the form for listing your prescriptions and they returned it and told me i forgot to fill the page out...I ended up putting down beer 3 or 4 times a day so I wonder if they are going to pay for that? be cool if they did. some years I get a flu shot some years I don't and never have had the flu.I have gotten a 24 hour bug a time or two but not the actual flu. I get maybe one cold every couple of years..If I needed some medication I would take it as prescribed.

Speedskater

About 99 plus percent compliant for the 3 that my doctors think that I should take every day.
There are several other prescription and over-the-counter medications that I take on a 'as needed' bases.

rumrunn6

I guess I’m ok at it. but I have to use tricks to make sure I take my once a day pill. such as putting the bottle where I can’t miss it

sometimes forget if I took it tho!

pdlamb

I can remember to take my pills in the morning (most days!), but the evening pill gets its own phone alarm. I call it "Pill O'clock."

boozergut

Im compliant and I use a pill box. I also use an app on my phone to ask my doctor questions when needed. I've lost several coworkers this year who failed to mind their health.

MoAlpha

We don't call it "compliance" anymore: too paternalistic and authoritarian. It's now "adherence."

DiabloScott

Osteoporosis injection every morning without fail - another year and then I'm done.
The only prescription pill I have is an anti-seizure med that I probably don't need, but it's cheap and has no side effects.
Everything else in my pill organizer is vitamins.

I tell my doctors that my objective is to be their most compliant patient.

Fredo76

As compliant (or adherent) as I can be, and I take a lot of prescriptions. If my INR (blood thinness) is low, that means I likely missed a dose or two. If I start being low again, I'll probably start using a weekly pillbox.

indyfabz

I have been taking Warfarin since I had my first artificial valve installed in 1990. I used to go periods where I was non-compliant. Sometimes I was very non-compliant. In fact, I when I spent 4 months riding across the country, I was pretty darn bad.

I got better with age. Since I had my second valve installed in January, I have maybe missed a handful of days. I even started using the pill caddy I bought ages ago but never bothered with. It sits on my nightstand. When I I enter my bedroom for the night, I toss it on the middle of the bed before I go to brush my teeth. It's a way of reminding myself to not doze off before dozing off.

gobicycling

​​​​ At age 84, I am using four pill boxes, which I lay out my prescription and non prescription drugs 28 days in advance. I only have three prescription drugs, which include blood pressure and blood thinner. I use a lot of supplements so I take eight pills every morning, and I take them all at once. It works for me. I'm surprised anyone is still on warfarin? But it is a lot cheaper

bblair

100% "adherence" to my only med, a statin. But also to flossing, who else can say that? (OK, I am a retired dentist, but you don't see many flossers at a campground)

MikeWMass

I floss each time before I brush my teeth

boozergut

Fixing bad teeth is a financial drain. Floss, floss and floss!