Houstonians Forget to Take Their Meds

Walgreens released new data that shows Houston has one of the lower adherence rates in the country, potentially leading to serious negative healthcare outcomes.

In Houston’s Harris county, about 68% (67.6%) of people taking a prescription medicine are adherent, compared to the national average of about 73%.

Skipping a dose may seem harmless, but according to a new survey by WebMD, more than three quarters of people say that not taking their medication correctly can cause their condition to worsen or return.

Tips to help you remember:

Prep your pills: Find a pill box that suits your needs and get organized! Pill boxes are a great way to group your medications together by time of day and ensure you don’t forget a single dosage. They’re also easy to transport in a purse or bag when you’re on-the-go (just don’t leave them overexposed to extreme heat or sunlight).

Set up reminders: Whether it’s an alarm on your mobile phone or free tools like Walgreens Pill Reminder on our app, it’s easy to remember when to take your medications with a pre-programmed cue. Research shows that patients using pill reminders were more likely to take their medications correctly.

Simplify refills: If you have multiple prescriptions, make the refill process easier, by switching to a 90-day supply or setting up automatic refills. Consider taking advantage of complimentary time and money savers such as the Save a Trip Refills program that coordinates your prescription refill schedule to a single pick up date.

Educate yourself and ask questions: Knowledge is power, and we pharmacists can be a fantastic resource when it comes to better understanding your medications including side effects and drug-to-drug or drug-to-food interactions. If you have a question or concern, don’t be afraid to speak up and talk to your pharmacist. There’s no charge and you can even chat with us using our pharmacy chat service 24/7.

Consider prescription delivery: If you find yourself unable to make a trip to the pharmacy, you can order your refills to come directly to you. You may want to consider taking advantage of a service we offer that gives you the option of prepaying and picking up prescriptions in a dedicated line or getting your eligible medications delivered to your home.

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