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Show Noncompliance may cause death or injury By JAMS STUART BOUNTIFUL-Story after story has been written about the current drug problem existing in our society. socie-ty. The illegal drug problem is receiving re-ceiving national attention, and efforts are being made to educate the public of the danger involved in taking illegal drugs. However, there is another growing grow-ing drug problem that few people are aware of, called noncompliance. Noncompliance is the improper use of prescription and over-the-counter medications. According to the National Council Coun-cil on Patient Information and Education, Edu-cation, "It is estimated that 125,000 Americans die each year simply because they fail to take their medicine med-icine as prescribed." These fatalities were not users of illegal drugs. They were people unaware of problems caused by mixing drugs, taking the wrong dosage, and not taking the medica tion at the times prescribed. One Davis County resident said, "I felt so sick that I thought I was going to die anyway, so I tried anything I could And." She said it took her over a week 16 recover from the medication, much less the illness. According to Diana Lueptow of Revco D.S., Inc., "Americans age 60 and over account for 39 percent of all hospitalizations and 51 percent of deaths from adverse drug reactions. reac-tions. Not only that, but older peo ple get twice as many prescriptions filled as younger people and many regularly use more than one medicine, med-icine, which increases their chance of adverse drug reactions." The best way to prevent problems prob-lems with medications is to ask questions of the doctor and pharmacist phar-macist and then follow their advice. A pharmacist at Skaggs Alpha Beta Stores in Bountiful said, "Our customers are very good about asking ask-ing questions concerning their medication. They want to know about side effects and if new medication will counteract with what they are taking.' ' To prevent noncompliance, Lueptow said, "One should make an effort to ensure that the medication medica-tion one is taking is 'just what the doctor ordered. " |
