Almost 40 per cent of British Columbians aren鈥檛 taking their medications properly, a poll commissioned by London Drugs suggests.
The poll, which was released Monday by Insights West, found that 38 per cent of the province鈥檚 residents don鈥檛 take their meds correctly. The survey found 25 per cent take less than prescribed or don鈥檛 fill prescriptions their doctors give them, 20 per cent stop taking them before they鈥檙e supposed to and 19 per cent make changes to dosage, size, or frequency without consulting a healthcare professional.
London Drugs pharmacist Michael Athanassakis says there鈥檚 many reasons why patients don鈥檛 take their medication properly.
鈥淓ither intentional or unwitting failure to take medications as prescribed decreases the effectiveness of treatment and endangers patient health,鈥� said Athanassakis.
鈥淭here are several factors that contribute to the improper use of medications, including forgetfulness, inconvenience, and a lack of understanding about how to take medications properly.鈥�
Pollsters found that 21 per cent of British Columbians who don鈥檛 take their medications properly do so because they forget. Another 10 per cent say they don鈥檛 take them because they don鈥檛 know why they鈥檝e been prescribed their meds, while another eight per cent say they鈥檙e too overwhelmed by all the medications they have to take.
The recent legalization of cannabis has led to more issues, Athanassakis said, since it can interact poorly with prescribed drugs.
鈥淐annabis can impact the way certain drugs are metabolized, and no scientifically defined dosage of cannabis has been established for any medical condition,鈥� said Athanassakis.
鈥淪o, it鈥檚 important to get expert advice to determine if it is right for you and determine the most suitable amount, strain, and method of use.鈥�
Although 41 per cent of those surveyed said they knew to ask pharmacists about how to safely use cannabis, only six per cent actually did ask.
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