If medication non adherence were a disease, it would be an epidemic

What is medication non adherence?

Medication non-adherence is most simply defined as the number of medicines doses not taken / missed or taken incorrectly that affects the patient's expected treatment outcome. There could be various reason for non-adherence, the most common is just forgetting to take medicines. But this is not the only reason, many times patients do not take medicine because of their poor knowledge about the disease and medicine. Sometimes patients modify their medicine dose by their own like taking half tablets. All these are various forms of medicine non-adherence

Medicine non adherence: Is this a problem?

The treatment of chronic illnesses like diabetes and cardiac disorders commonly need the lifelong use of medicines. Although modern medications are very effective in fighting disease, but their full benefits are often not realized because approximately 50% of patients do not take their medications as prescribed ^{2, 3} 

Poor medication adherence has been linked to several adverse outcomes including disease progression, disease complications, lower quality of life, increased doctor visits, hospitalizations, and premature death. As per studies even in USA where the level of health literacy is far better than other developing countries, one patient die every 5 min due to non-adherence related issues.

Medicine non adherence: Is action really required?

According to the World Health Organization “Increasing the effectiveness of adherence interventions may have a far greater impact on the health of the population than any improvement in specific medical treatments,”  Hence, there is an urgent need to bring social awareness about non adherence and also develop tools and resources which can help patient to improve their adherence behavior.

Medicine non adherence: Leveraging smart phone

Non Adherence is a very personalized and behavioral problem.

Smart phone being the most closest and personalized device to every modern man and can be leveraged effectively to address this silent epidemic.

Medment app is one of its kind smart phone application especially designed to improve patients adherence behavior.

Medment Talking alarms not only reminds patients to take Medicine on time but it also provides Information about the prescribed medicine, disease, food and exercise in 10 Indian languages. It also helps patients to stay connected with doctors via app.

Medment app empowers family members of the patients to play their role in improving the patient’s medicine adherence

Medment app also enables doctors to analyze their patients’ adherence from their app. They can also send paid mobile prescription to the patients from any part of the world. 

 #AbNahiBhulenge campaign by Medment app is an initiative to raise public awareness about medicine non adherence. Under this initiative Medment team is Organizing AbNahiBhulenge camps at various hospitals and private clinics. In this camps patients are sensitized about non adherence and asked to take the pledge with #AbNahiBhulenge banner and bands.