Why the drugs don’t work: non-adherence to medication
Understanding and breaking down the practical and psychological barriers to taking medicine could boost global health and save billions of dollars
Perhaps foolishly, I thought this time would be different.
I again wrapped the blood pressure cuff around my patient’s arm, as I’d done many times before. I stared at the dial, coaxing it to rest somewhere closer to normal, as if by mental force I could produce a different result. Still high.
Last month, I’d increased both of his blood pressure medications, but clearly it wasn’t enough. My mind, as it does when confronting stubborn hypertension, drifted to a dismal daydream: years of high blood pressure causing his kidneys to shut down, his heart growing thicker and weaker with every pump. A blood clot shoots toward his brain, leaving him unable to speak or move.
“Let’s try another med,” I say.
“Okay,” he replies. “But first I want to try really taking these and see what happens.”