Paying people to take their medicine
Mary Poppins notwithstanding, sometimes nothing helps the medicine go down. And when patients simply won't take their medication, it's a serious problem – not just for them, but for the health care system as well.
One-third to one-half of all patients do not take medication as prescribed, and up to one-quarter never fill prescriptions at all, reports the New York Times. And all that forgetfulness translates into a staggering toll on already strained health care budgets.
That’s why doctors in Pennsylvania are exploring a new approach to try to improve compliance. The premise: Offering a bonus to help patients choke down their pills.
Patients prescribed warfarin, an anti-blood-clot medication, can win $10 or $100 each day they take the drug — a kind of lottery using a computerized pillbox to record if they took their medicine and whether they won that day.
Experts say the psychological effect is more important than the dollar amount, which is usually just enough to seem significant.
The project’s co-leaders, Dr. Kevin G. Volpp and Dr. Stephen E. Kimmel, say that patients win $90-a-month on average, which will pay for itself if it prevents even two emergency clinic visits.
Will longer-running lotteries produce more dedicated medicine-takers and potential long-term savings? Well, the jury is still out. But, if payments did continue indefinitely, “it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing,” the researchers maintain.
What do you think? A reward for bad behaviour or a useful incentive to help patients look after themselves properly?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: Jess4lukin | Jun 15, 2021 10:56:18 AM
Now let's see...the doctor says I absolutely have to take this medecine for my heart condition every day. If I buy a months supply, I don't have enough money left for food for a month...If I buy food, I don't have enough money for the medecine...OK. Which is going to kill me sooner?
Posted by: Dan | Jun 16, 2021 10:45:17 AM
I 'm sorry but the truth be known that 95% of this chemical poisons only mask or suppress the symptoms they do not cure anything. Only a life style change diet and exercise can help. Almost all of the drugs come from the plant world that have been chemically altered or basterdized in some way so they can sale it to the public at 1000% mark up. Between big pharma and the large food corperations that sale shit for food, are doing a good job keeping the profits of the health care (sick care) industry up with the blessings of stupid or corupt goverment officials. If the truth be known wake up people.
Posted by: Mr. Mark Boisvert | Jun 16, 2021 11:38:33 PM
I have been a pyschiatrica patient since 1975 and in 1978 I took an over dose of chrompromoathixine the amount 3000 mgs. each 100 mg. or thirty pills I was out of it for three days and nights the doctors of the toronto general told me that the director general of the hospital wanted to speak with me. Instead I took the intervios out of my arms and legs and got dressed as I was leaving I noticed a big book on the nursing station so I started to read the book. It was meant for doctors only in the left hand page it listed a lot medication for pyschiatrica reasons the amount that the doctors where allowed to perscribe and even more in extreme emergencies on the right hand page there was 1/3 of the same as the left hand page but on the 2/3 of the right hand page it said in big bold letters that were inch in size note well to the physician these medications are nothing but slow poison to the mind.
The government wants to get ride of people with problems so that when they die before 65 the government does not have to pay old age pension and even in the future the Government will raise the old age requirements for citizens to collect their penions.
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