Script Your Future

Nearly three out of four Americans report that they do not always take their medications as directed. Poor adherence leads to serious health consequences and avoidable costs. And, as more and more Americans are affected by at least one chronic condition, the costs for patients and the health care system continue to grow. Yet too many Americans simply don’t understand the consequences of poor adherence.

This February, an interdisciplinary student team from pharmacy, medicine, nursing, and other health professions from LECOM will kick off a series of community outreach activities in Erie, Pennsylvania and Bradenton, Florida to raise awareness about the health consequences of not taking medication as directed.  They will join with health professions students across the country in the 2013 Medication Adherence Team Challenge, conducting activities throughout the month, as part of a national effort to educate consumers on the importance of medication adherence, or taking medication as directed.  More than one-third of medicine-related hospitalizations and almost 125,000 deaths in the United States each year are due to people not taking their medicine as directed.

The students are supported by the Script Your Future campaign, a national coalition of more than 130 public and private stakeholder organizations, led by the National Consumers League (NCL).  The campaign provides tools to help patients and health care professionals better communicate about ways to improve medication adherence. The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation, the American Medical Association (AMA), and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), sponsors of the Challenge and campaign partners, are leading efforts to engage the next generation of health professionals in the campaign.

“There are many reasons why people don’t take their medicine as directed, but the consequences for patients are the same,” said Hershey Bell, MD, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the LECOM School of Pharmacy.  “Non-adherence puts patients, especially those with chronic conditions, such as diabetes or asthma, at risk for serious complications."

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Below are documents that can be used to help track your medications as well as provide information on conditions such as high cholesterol, blood pressure medications and preventing medication mishaps.  Click the image to download the PDF files.*

A Dozen Questions To Help You Understand Your Medicines	My Medicine Wallet Card	How to Prevent Medication Mishaps	Medication Chart, Blood Pressure Tracker and more