Why Don't People Adhere to Their Meds?

Question: Why Don't People Adhere to Their Meds?

Answer: The advent of HAART therapy has given people infected with HIV a new lease on life. But along with these benefits there are some problems. The biggest obstacle to successful treatment is adherence to medications. The method by which antiretroviral medications suppress the HIV virus necessitates a very strict regimen of medication. Drugs must be taken exactly as prescribed without missing doses if they are to work to their full potential. Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong! Between medication side effects, emotional issues surrounding therapy, and concerns about confidentiality, adherence can be very difficult. In order to be more adherent, first we need to know why people don't take their medicines.

With any type of medication regimen, whether it is to treat HIV, diabetes, or high blood pressure, there are several reasons why people have difficulty adhering to their prescribed medications. Several studies have been done to identify these reasons. One such study found that:

• 40% of people said they simply forgot
• 37% slept through a dose
• 34% were away from home
• 27% had made a change in their therapy routine
• 22% were too busy to take their meds
• 13% were too sick
• 10% were experiencing side effects
• 9% were suffering from depression

So what can be done to improve adherence? The first step in better adherence begins with knowing why you can't take your meds in the first place. From there, you can address those issues and improve your adherence.

_{Statistics from "Adherence to HAART", 1997}