Tips to avoid neglecting medication in summer

He General Council of Official Pharmaceutical Colleges recommends that, before summer holidays, The days that are going to spend home are planned to go All necessary medicationespecially if the trip is abroad, and thus continue with the treatment.

Pharmacists remember that Lack of adhesion To pharmacological treatments is a “public health problem of the first magnitude “that must be treated from a” global optics “, in which “Patients and health professionals have a very important role“

That summer holidays do not suppose an adherence problem

“In summer, el change of routines that occurs during vacations It can make that therapeutic adhesion decrease, affecting medications in specific schedules“They point out. Therefore, they point out that a good measure is to use a Reminder system or alarms through the use of some application that reminds of the medication. “In this way, Forgotten For these routine changes, “they add.

It is also advisable to carry Always one or two doses of each medicationtaking into account that some medication may need special conservation conditions. “You have to remember that medications, in generalthey must be kept in fresh places of the home and stay inside its original packaging. This implies not leaving them in full in the car, something frequent at this time of year, “they explain.

The General Council insists on the importance that patients have well informed to Prevent complications derived from bad adhesion In each concrete pathology, among them, the therapeutic failure and the decrease in the control of health problems, greater probability of relapses and aggravation of pathologyincrease in morbidity and mortality and appearance of side effects or poisoning.

They also emphasize that The lack of adhesion can worsen the quality of life related to health perceived by the patient and increase the use and cost of health resources; In fact, non -adherence costs the National Health System 11,250 million euros per year. The pharmacy also insists on Promote self -care and warn about consumption or greater consumption of certain foods and beverages Typical of the season, such as grapefruit juice, dairy or alcohol, which can reduce the effectiveness of treatments or increase the risk of side effects when interacting with them.

Work adherence all year

The Council underlines that, in developed countries, Adherence rates are located at 50 percentwhat “reveals the great health challenge it represents.” “But there are differences between different pathologies. Thus, patients with Hypertension, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) They present, in general, low adhesion values, standing at 52, 56 and 41 percent, respectively, “they indicate.

Although there are no studies that encrypt the percentage of lack of adhesion in this season, pharmacists consider that, if you already start from low figures, It is estimated that these could be lower in the holiday period. “Likewise, given that chronic pathologies that have greater adhesion faults are silent pathologies, such as arterial hypertension or dyslipremia, may be the most decompensated due, mainly, to the fact that Symptoms are not imminent. For this reason, from the pharmacy it is recommended work on therapeutic adhesion throughout the year“They add.

At this point, the Council ensures that The pharmacist has a very important role In adherence to treatments at different times: “For example, in the starting dispensation, providing personalized medication information (IPM) through the dispensing service, to prevent a treatment from starting, or in a continuation dispensation, evaluating the adherence of the patient with simple questionnaires and raising interventions, agreed with the patient always to succeed, that they can cause an improvement in adhesion. “

Finally, the drug reconditioning service highlights using Personification Personalized Systems (SPD). In this case, the pharmacist, using their professional competences and prior authorization of the patient or his legal representative, in a post -discussing act, systematically review the medication to recondition part or all treatment In a personalized dosing device, which gives the patient and verifies its use.