Most people know how to live a healthier life. They need to exercise, eat right and take their medicine. Yet many individuals do none of these activities. They do not exercise, they overeat and, according to a recent survey from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, about two-thirds of Americans sometimes miss taking their medication. This can result in a hospital visit or worse.
For a child, there is the added difficulty of trying to convince the kid to take his or her medicine, and the parents need to oversee the child's treatment. With many adults not taking their prescriptions when they are supposed to, the chance exists that kids may also miss their scheduled dosages. They are also less likely to monitor their own schedule, particularly if they don't like their medication. Depending on their age, they may also not understand the importance of not missing a pill or injection.
Give kids a reason to take their medicine
By encouraging children to take their medicine, parents can minimize the risk that they will forget about the treatment and increase the chance that their kids will remind them about the medication. This can be especially important when treating chronic pediatric medical conditions, as convincing someone to do the same thing every day can be problematic when he or she does not want to do it.
By creating a fun situation for a child, routine activities can become more enjoyable. Medicine-flavoring services such as those offered by FLAVORx partner pharmacies provide a number of better-tasting options for children and can make taking their medication a joy. Different taste options can offer variety to an otherwise familiar medicinal experience, while more than a dozen flavors can help kids find something they like.
Though most physicians and pharmacists are intent on maintaining children's health and wellness, improving how regularly kids take their medicine can also provide a considerable amount of savings. According to the 2012 Express Scripts Drug Trend Report, the United States loses about $317.4 billion in medical costs every year that could have been prevented by patients more rigorously taking their medicine.
