Millennials’ disappointing medicine habits

The UK has an ‘under-informed’ youth when it comes to prescription medicines, according to a new patient behaviour survey from the IPA’s Healthcare Group.

It found that 30% of younger patients - 18-34 year olds - are much more likely to find taking multiple medications a day confusing compared to their older (55+) counterparts (11%).

Additionally, the IPA’s investigation also exposed a dissatisfaction with younger patients and the amount of preliminary information they receive from HCPs compared with 90% of older patients.

Phil Bartlett, chair of the IPA Healthcare Group and MD at CDM, said: “It’s both an unsurprising and disappointing truth that in this research we see only 60% of people taking their medicine as prescribed.

“[There] is a huge opportunity for agencies and pharma clients to make life-changing differences by supporting patients and doctors with the right information at the right time to encourage people to take their medicines properly.”

All age ranges have also indicated that they would most like to find out about their medicine via an ‘easy to understand’ leaflet, and patients should “be able to find good support information, written in a way they can understand”, added Sarah Sowerby, member of the IPA Healthcare Group and founder of Wordbird.

She said: “Medicines need to be properly discussed with the people who will take them, whether they are old or young.”