Finger-pointing doesn't lead the way
Take your meds. On time, the right amount—and above all, finish the prescription.
That's what for years now doctors have been ordering patients to do, but it seems that in a good many cases, it's been all for naught.
I have mixed feelings on this, which I'll explain in a second.
First, the statistics are startling. It is estimated that millions aren't taking their medications correctly—if at all. And in some instances, the consequences can be deadly. A report has come out detailing a study that looked at a decade of research and discovered that patients just aren't managing their medications properly.
The reasons vary. Some patients forget a dose, while others may be away from home for a day and miss taking their medication. They figure a missed dose here and there won't hurt.
Then there are the folks who are just plain confused by the instructions on their medication bottles. Or, they'll begin to feel better and think that, since the medication has apparently "worked," they don't need to bother taking any more of it.
There are also those patients who live in fear of the side effects of their medication, and so they choose to not take it at all. Knowing what we do about so many of the drugs on the market and how you become an unwitting test subject in an ongoing dry run by using some of these drugs—I can't say I blame them.
I tend to side with the patients. The reason is that I've had more patients than I can count tell me that with their mainstream doctors, they've barely said "hello" before he starts a rapid-fire interrogation of their symptoms, presses some prescriptions and freebie pills into their hands, and then bids them adieu.
Who wouldn't feel confused after a visit in which the doctor seems to be timing himself as if he were running the 100-yard dash!
This is why we have this issue of missed and misunderstood doses. And it seems that all the mainstream medical world wants to do is lay the blame at their patients' feet.
Shame on them!
However, as I've advised you many times before: You don't have to be a clock-watcher while sitting with your doctor. Ask the questions you need to, make sure you understand what your doctor is prescribing for you, along with all the medication's side effects, and don't budge until you're satisfied.
Also ask if there are alternatives to being on a prescription in the first place—or at least see if he is open to the idea of a stepped approach to treatment.
Next, while at the pharmacy picking up your prescription, be sure to read the instructions on the packaging before you leave the counter. If the instructions don't make sense to you—and believe me, there is often some incredibly unclear wording—ask to speak with the pharmacist. He'll be able to explain it in terms that you can understand.
Above all, don't let the medical process intimidate you. Remember that you are the most important part of your own medical treatment.
