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Nearly 40% of British Columbians not taking their medications correctly: poll

Introduction of legal cannabis could cause more issues for drug interactions
16004227_web1_Cannabis-Pixabay
(Pixabay)

Almost 40 per cent of British Columbians arensa国际传媒檛 taking their medications properly, a poll commissioned by London Drugs suggests.

The poll, which was released Monday by Insights West, found that 38 per cent of the provincesa国际传媒檚 residents donsa国际传媒檛 take their meds correctly. The survey found 25 per cent take less than prescribed or donsa国际传媒檛 fill prescriptions their doctors give them, 20 per cent stop taking them before theysa国际传媒檙e supposed to and 19 per cent make changes to dosage, size, or frequency without consulting a healthcare professional.

London Drugs pharmacist Michael Athanassakis says theresa国际传媒檚 many reasons why patients donsa国际传媒檛 take their medication properly.

sa国际传媒淓ither intentional or unwitting failure to take medications as prescribed decreases the effectiveness of treatment and endangers patient health,sa国际传媒 said Athanassakis.

sa国际传媒淭here are several factors that contribute to the improper use of medications, including forgetfulness, inconvenience, and a lack of understanding about how to take medications properly.sa国际传媒

Pollsters found that 21 per cent of British Columbians who donsa国际传媒檛 take their medications properly do so because they forget. Another 10 per cent say they donsa国际传媒檛 take them because they donsa国际传媒檛 know why theysa国际传媒檝e been prescribed their meds, while another eight per cent say theysa国际传媒檙e too overwhelmed by all the medications they have to take.

The recent legalization of cannabis has led to more issues, Athanassakis said, since it can interact poorly with prescribed drugs.

sa国际传媒淐annabis can impact the way certain drugs are metabolized, and no scientifically defined dosage of cannabis has been established for any medical condition,sa国际传媒 said Athanassakis.

sa国际传媒淪o, itsa国际传媒檚 important to get expert advice to determine if it is right for you and determine the most suitable amount, strain, and method of use.sa国际传媒

Although 41 per cent of those surveyed said they knew to ask pharmacists about how to safely use cannabis, only six per cent actually did ask.

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katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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