FOR YOUR HEALTH: How To Never Miss A Day Of Your Medication

(NAPSI) — Most people can’t go a day without a cup of coffee or checking their e-mail. But with the demands of everyday life it’s not surprising that about 50 percent of patients sometimes fail to take their daily medications as prescribed.

According to a new survey by WebMD, over the past six months one-third of respondents either sometimes or most of the time missed taking their medication as prescribed even though 76 percent know it can cause their condition to worsen or symptoms to return.

When asked why they’d missed a dose, 66 percent of survey respondents said that they forgot, 38 percent said they experienced side effects, and 26 percent weren’t able to get to the pharmacy to refill their prescription on time.

“Not following a prescription correctly can seriously impact your health,” said Jamal Downer, a Walgreens pharmacist. “Your local pharmacist is an expert who can help you understand your medications and provide tips on how to use tools like smartphone apps that make it easier and more convenient to stay on track.”

Steps to help you take your medications include services online, through apps and in store:

• Getting help whenever you need it: A pharmacist is an integral part of your support team, and now they are available anytime via phone. Walgreens Pharmacy Chat service provides 24/7 access to pharmacists who can answer questions to help you better understand your medications, including side effects and how the other medicines you take and food you eat may interact with another drug.
• Setting reminders: Whether you need a quick prompt to take your pill or a text alert that your refill is available, calendar notifications and free tools like a pill reminder can help ensure you always have your medication on hand.
• Simplifying your refills: Pharmacists can also coordinate your prescription refills to a single pickup date with the Save a Trip Refills® program for free. Refilling your prescription can be made more convenient by switching to a 90-day supply or setting up automatic refills.
• Making refills convenient: Just like you can order purchases online from your phone, you can have refills shipped directly to your home. With Walgreens Express™, patients can prepay and pick up prescriptions in a dedicated line or get their eligible medications delivered.

From pill reminders to tools for conveniently managing your condition, the answer to improved health and saving money could be in the palm of your hand. Download the Walgreens app or ask your local pharmacist how they can help you stay on track with your medications.

For more information, go to http://bit.ly/redphone-wakeup.