Health insurance company nib has warned its customers about the dangers of medication non-adherence.
According to nib, one in three Kiwis do not fill their doctor’s prescription. If filled, 40% of medication was either not taken properly or not taken at all.
Rob Hennin, chief executive officer at nib, explained that people don’t usually fill prescriptions or take medication properly due to forgetfulness, convenience, assumptions, and misunderstanding. Whatever the reason, non-adherence could result in unnecessary costs, worsening health, hospitalisations, and even death.
One study in 2012 indicated that non-adherence in the US caused up to 125,000 deaths a year, 10% of all hospitalisations, and US$100 billion to US$289 billion in unnecessary costs. Globally, people’s health worsened because patients were not taking their medicine to cure them or keep them out of the hospital.
“The reality is convenience is a big thing; we all lead busy lives and often have conflicting priorities,” Hennin told NZ Herald.
