Unraveling Why Patients Don't Take Their Meds

The Wall Street Journal Health Blog
September 14, 2009

Powerful new drugs that fight cancer and chronic illnesses often come with side effects that can make the drugs hard to tolerate — a reason patients sometimes stop taking their medications, studies show...

...But patients’ failure to comply with their drug regimens isn’t just dangerous for their health — it’s another source of waste in the health-care system, according to a recent report by the nonprofit New England Healthcare Institute. An estimated one half to one-third of Americans don’t take their medications as prescribed by their doctors, the research group says, contributing to about $290 billion a year in avoidable medical spending including excess hospitalizations....

Link to Full Article: http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/09/14/unraveling-why-patients-dont-take-th…