Have you ever missed a dose of your medication, stopped taking your medication due to side effects or did not pick up your prescription after visiting your doctor? Nearly one-third of patients never fill their prescriptions, and three out of four Americans do not take their medications as directed. Filling a prescription or taking medications as prescribed is pivotal in living a healthy life today and having a quality future tomorrow.

Throughout February, student pharmacists at South Dakota State University have partnered up with a national campaign, Script Your Future, to raise awareness about the importance of medication adherence. Medication adherence means taking the right medication and dose at the right time. Poor adherence is the cause of over one-third of medication-related hospital admissions and nearly 125,000 deaths each year. As student pharmacists, we feel medication adherence is an important issue affecting the health of our communities.

We urge you to take the pledge to take your meds — or talk to your health care provider or pharmacist if you are having trouble taking your medications as prescribed. If you would like to join the campaign or find resources, please visit scriptyourfuture.org.

 

Kacy Magnus

Brookings, S.D.