Most patients occasionally forget to take their medication. This unintentional non-compliance and subsequent request for advice is common in practice. A survey found that more than 90% of people do not know what to do if they forget to take a dose. Given our understanding of the difficulty of adhering to medication regimens, it must be assumed that many patients will miss medication. Informing patients seems like a logical step towards improving compliance.

Importance of a missed dose

The severity of the patient should be observed, and the drug characteristics should be considered when determining the most appropriate strategy after missed doses. there is. Patients at risk are easily identifiable in any practice and include those taking drugs with narrow therapeutic and patients suffering from epilepsy and thromboembolism). On the other hand, most people having high blood pressure or high cholesterol, missing a dose rarely matters.

The clinical efficacy of some drugs is independent of half-life. This usually occurs when the drug is a prodrug (in this case half blood cells), through an indirect mechanism (e.g. warfarin's effect on blood clotting) and an irreversible mechanism (aspirin on platelets). occurs when it acts through a important active species lifetime) or when a drug is converted to an active metabolite with a long half-life. 

Oral contraceptive missed doses have been thoroughly studied. Women who use the pill need to be aware of the risks associated with missed doses and what to do in that situation. Due to the complexity of this information and the possibility of unintended pregnancy, it is essential that verbal counseling be supported by appropriate documentation.

Things to help in remembering to take the medicines
 

It's inevitable that you'll forget to take your meds from time to time, but there are things that can be done to keep things on track. Try these quick tips:

1. Set up reminders.
   Set reminders using the alarms and calendars on your phone or smartwatch.

2. Pair it with another daily habit.
   Place your morning medicine to be taken with your meal next to your cereal container. Or put sleeping pills around the clock with face cream. Taking the medication while performing other daily tasks can help with memory, says the American Health Association.

3. Use a pillbox.
   Simple but effective - get one with the days of the week printed on it. All medications are loaded once a week, so you can always track your daily dosage.

Conclusion

In general, many maintenance drugs stay in the bloodstream for some time. So even if you miss a dose every now and then (be careful - don't make it a habit), it's usually not a big deal because some of the last dose is still in your body.

Other drugs, such as antibiotics used to treat infections, leave the bloodstream quickly. Therefore, missing a dose can make the condition worse or more difficult to treat, and can lead to unpleasant side effects and complications.

In most patients, occasional missed doses have little effect on outcome. Most policies contain statements like the following:

• If you miss one or more doses, from the next time onwards, take your usual dose at your usual time. Do not take more than prescribed by your doctor.

• If you miss a dose, skip and continue your regular dosing schedule

Having this knowledge at the beginning of treatment can be an easy way to reduce fear and possibly avoid undesirable clinical outcomes for many patients.
 

Examples of medications for which missed doses may be clinically significant and information for patients in the event of a missed dose