It makes sense that if we only had to take medication once a day, we’d be more likely to follow through and take all that is prescribed. A survey by the pharmaceutical company Schwarz Pharma finds it’s true, citing the eight out of 10 Americans who said in their response to the survey that they might be more likely to remember to take their medication if they only had to take it once a day at bedtime.
The “Pulse Beat” survey of 1,017 men and women finds 63 percent have skipped taking prescription drugs during the day because they forgot or were too busy. Dr. Klaus Veitinger, company president, says finding ways to increase patient compliance is “a key issue in treating chronic conditions such as hypertension.”
The survey says 28 percent already make taking medication a bedtime ritual, sort of like preparing their clothes for the next day. Women are more likely than men to skip a dose during the day and 44 percent of the study participants over age 65 already take medication at bedtime.
Part of Schwarz Pharma‘s reason for the study is its recent introduction of Verelan, or verapamil HCL in the generic. The hypertension drug is taken at bedtime and has an extended-release formula that allows for the maximum concentration of the drug during the early morning hours when blood pressure is known to rise and the risk of heart attack is greater.
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