Why You Should Take Medications on Time and Not Skip Doses

Almost everyone must take medications throughout life. They are most often prescribed by a doctor who determines the treatment plan, dosage, and schedule, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.

Rules for Taking Medications

One of the main rules is regularity. Missing doses can slow down recovery or make therapy less effective.

A Simple Example - Antibiotics

These 20th-century medicines fight infections by destroying pathogenic bacteria. What are the rules for taking them?

• Correct Dosage: An insufficient amount of the drug cannot fully "kill" bacteria, while an excess can cause serious side effects and intoxication. The doctor's task is to find a balance between maximal effectiveness and safety.
   
• Frequency of Intake: The body naturally eliminates medicinal substances through the excretory system, so the concentration of antibiotics in the blood gradually decreases. The next dose should be taken at a specific time to maintain the necessary level. This interval is individual for each medication.
   
• Duration of Treatment Course: To ensure that an antibiotic destroys all pathogens, it must be taken for a certain period. This duration depends on the type of infection and its location. Some diseases disappear within a day, while others require a long treatment (from several days to months).

These principles apply not only to antibiotics but also to other medications. For example, in treating chronic diseases, a doctor determines the dose and frequency of intake over a long period. If a person misses a dose, the level of medication in the blood decreases. As a result, the patient may remain ill longer or experience a relapse, requiring treatment to start anew.

Statistics show that about 50% of failures in treating chronic diseases are due to non-adherence to medication schedules.

Chronic Diseases - Lifelong Medication Intake

Most medications prescribed for arterial hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, and diabetes require regular daily intake. These drugs are eliminated slowly when accumulated over a long period in the body, so missing a single dose usually does not lead to critical consequences. However, systematic non-compliance with the schedule negates all results.

What to Do If You Forget to Take Your Medication

If a patient accidentally misses a dose, it is best to take it within the next two hours. However, if less than four hours remain until the next dose, it is better to skip the missed dose to avoid overdose. In any case, do not panic or stop treatment. It is important to take measures to prevent such omissions from happening again.

There are various ways to help remember to take medications: phone reminders, alarms, or special apps. These simple tools help make treatment more conscious and disciplined.

Sources 

Overcoming barriers to patient adherence: the case for developing innovative drug delivery systems,  Tsvetelina H. Baryakova, Brett H. Pogostin, Robert Langer & Kevin J. McHugh, 2023

Access to effective antimicrobials: a worldwide challenge, Laxminarayan R., Matsoso P., Pant S., Lancet 2016