Medication Compliance- The solution or a Problem?

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By Adetoun Sodimu

Published: June 8, 2008

Medication Compliance- The solution or a Problem?

By Adetoun Sodimu, R N, BA/Maryland

 As a Caregiver, one of the greatest priorities is to get patient and/or Caregiver buy-in into the Plan of Care for a favorable outcome. Health maintenance outside of the hospital setting depends on patient’s actions in maintaining optimum health and preventing illnesses and medication compliance is a big part of this, because this is one of the major areas that patients usually function independently, and this in itself has a lot of challenges with any population, especially the African population.

Many Africans seem to shy away from medical interventions possibly for traditional or spiritual reasons, but one thing we need to keep in mind is that our physical bodies like any other equipment, needs to be maintained and/or repaired, and doing this does not make us any less spiritual or traditional, simply human.

Case in point, my Mom, an educated, retired teacher now resides in the US permanently, and it is a difficult feat to get her to be in compliance with her prescribed medication regimen after explaining the rationales and outcomes albeit favorable ones. She listens patiently and even agrees with me, only to mention some bothersome symptoms in passing a few weeks later resulting from the fact that she has not been taking her medications as prescribed. She believes strongly in the power of the Blood of Jesus, which is quite true, however I have explained to her on numerous occasions, that God gave us this physical body with its anatomy and physiology and that we need to maintain this through prevention and treatment, and that God would not hold it against her if she takes the prescribed Cardiac medications to enhance the function of an aging heart and body. I have since assured her that her soul is intact, and I’m glad to say we are making slow, but sure progress in that regard.

Another of my relatives on the other hand is the exact opposite she will take any and every medication she lays her sights upon, including fertility medication even though she is way beyond the child bearing age, so we also need to educate our loved ones about taking just any medications. We cannot recover our youthful bodies by taking medications, we simply have  

to preserve what we already have.

Also a lot of us have this uncanny ability to self diagnose ourselves and our loved ones and we do not hesitate to provide medications to back up these diagnosis, especially antibiotics, which there seems to be an endless supply of. It is not only unwise to do this it can be dangerous as these also can have extremely dangerous repercussions, including liver and kidney damage or even death, so we need to caution ourselves and our home grown physicians and prescribers to be careful at dispensing medical advise as well as medications.

 But back to medications; why must I take them you ask, they are so expensive? Yes, but there is always a way out.

First of all as earlier explained we need to keep our bodies going while we are alive afterall no one can live well in poor health, so a pill here and there prescribed is not only necessary but it is imperative when prescribed to improve or maintain an acceptable quality of life. Also most of us do not have access to the Herbs, leaves and tree barks that our grandparents used in those days, but my take on this is that today’s medications are an improved version of those very same herbs, which when taken correctly will have the desired and similar effects.

Look at it like this non-compliance can have disastrous ramifications because there is the likelihood of the condition getting worse or even resulting in emergency room visits or have fatal results.

About the cost! There are many programs available even Medicare has added a Part D for medication Benefits there are websites for people with chronic illnesses that provide support and links for means of getting medication benefits, even as the good book states in James 4:2 warns us that “we have not because we ask not.” See, we need to seek to find and ask in order to get. So there…

 As the old adage goes, “a word is sufficient for the wise.” I cannot reiterate the importance of Medication Compliance for every one, young and old alike. Remember that ignorance is really NOT bliss. You have been told…. Will write to you again soon.

 If you have any questions about links to obtaining medication & medication benefits.  Please feel free to contact the writer at toun_sodimu@hotmail.com

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