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This is demonstrated by a survey conducted for the Medicines with a Mind project, thanks to which the Association for the Protection of Patients’ Rights of the Slovak Republic educates patients on the safe use of medicines.
Most chronic patients report that they are following treatment exactly as directed by their doctor. However, a survey conducted at the end of last year on a representative sample of 606 respondents also demonstrated this patients do not always behave safely when taking medications.
Nearly 11% of respondents admitted that if they have difficulty after taking the medicine, stop treatment without consulting a doctor. In contrast, nearly 6% of patients stop treatment if their health improves, although they should continue taking the medicine as directed by their doctor.
Every twentieth patient, too, takes a drug prescribed by a pharmacy that he doesn’t even start taking. Obviously it does not inform the doctor.
Patients often choose to stop treatment for difficulties they experience after taking the medicine. Sometimes they even decide not to start treatment because of its benefits in protecting possible risks.
“Patients usually do not realize they remain untreated from their decision to discontinue their prescribed treatment without first consulting their doctor.“, Says MUDr. Marián Šóth, president of the Association of Private Doctors of the Slovak Republic.
As it adds, consequently, it might the patient’s health continues to deteriorate and reduce your chances of treatment success or further complicate treatment in the future. For each drug it is necessary to take into account the possible occurrence of side effects.
“If a patient develops an adverse reaction, it is important to inform the doctor and seek together another suitable alternative that gives the patient the same effect, while being well tolerated by the patient.“, Explains MUDr. Šóth.
According to him, most drugs can be administered appropriately replaced by another medicine, for example from another manufacturer, with a slightly different composition in the excipients, but always with the same effect.
As the survey showed, it is the most common resource for patients information on adverse reactions leaflet.
“The list of side effects in the package leaflet is intended to draw attention to possible reactions to the medicine, which may not occur at all in the patient. Therefore, the list of adverse reactions should definitely not be a cause for concern and should be a reason to stop treatment, “Emphasizes Mária Lévyová, President of the Association for the Protection of Patients’ Rights in the Slovak Republic.
According to her, patients often meet in the doctor’s office with the recommendation not to read the package leaflet at all. According to the president of the association, the treatment setting should be the result of the mutual collaboration and communication between the patient and the doctor.
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