Results of Not Complying

Most obviously, if a person does not comply, symptoms may not be relieved or the disorder may not be cured. However, not complying may have other serious or costly consequences. It is estimated to result in 125,000 deaths due to cardiovascular disease (such as heart attack and stroke) each year. In addition, up to 23% of nursing home admissions, 10% of hospital admissions, and many doctor visits, diagnostic tests, and unnecessary treatments could be avoided if people took their drugs as directed.

Not only does not complying add to the cost of medical care, but it can also worsen the quality of life. For example, missed doses can lead to optic nerve damage and blindness in people with glaucoma, to an erratic heart rhythm and cardiac arrest in people with heart disease, and to stroke in people with high blood pressure. Not taking all prescribed doses of an antibiotic can cause an infection to flare up again and may contribute to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria.