Medication adherence patterns
Why diabetes medication adherence drops to ~50% by year three for many patients. Reminder mechanisms, side-effect tolerance, and the role of conversation.
The most effective medication is the one a patient actually takes consistently.
The numbers
Adherence to oral diabetes medications drops to roughly 50% at three years in many studies. Insulin adherence is harder to measure but similarly imperfect.
Why adherence drops
- Side effects (GI upset on metformin, hypos on sulfonylureas)
- Cost barriers
- "I feel fine, why take it" reasoning
- Forgetting
- Lack of understanding of why a medication matters
What helps
Reminder apps, weekly pill organisers, family involvement, and crucially — a clear, patient-friendly explanation of why each medication is being taken. DiaCare can explain the why; reminders are a future feature.