Many Irish people who have conditions that require regular medication, such as asthma and diabetes, are failing to take their drugs properly, a new survey has revealed.

The survey focused on the issue of non-adherence to medicines and found that non-intentional non-adherence is much more common than intentional non-adherence. In others words, most people who fail to take their medication correctly are not doing so on purpose.

In fact, the main reason people reported missing their medication was due to forgetfulness.

Where people intentionally failed to take their medication properly, the main reasons were that they felt they did not need it anymore, they felt better, or they were anxious about the side-effects.

The survey noted that among conditions that require regular medication, people with asthma, diabetes and high cholesterol had the lowest levels of adherence. Just 30% of people with high cholesterol and 31% of people with diabetes and asthma were taking their medication correctly.

The three factors which were found to be most important in ensuring that people did adhere to their medication were regular consultations with their doctor, having a good understanding of their condition, and having a good understanding of their medication.

Men and people under the age of 35 tended to be less adherent overall. And among those who missed their medication, two in three reported missing it at least once a week.

The survey also noted that people who are non-adherent are much more likely to have at least two conditions.

The survey results were included in a new report into non-adherence. A Report on Patient Non-Adherence in Ireland revealed that non-adherence is a major issue for doctors and healthcare systems due to potential negative health outcomes and the higher cost of care.

Data indicates that this issue is costing EU governments around €125 billion every year, and leads to the premature deaths of almost 200,000 Europeans annually.

"This report is another step forward in patient safety by making us aware of the level that Irish patients do not adhere to their prescription medication regimes. It is evident that all those involved with the patient i.e. the doctor, the pharmacist, the nurse, the payer, the policy maker and the manufacturer, should play a role in promoting the importance of adhering to prescribed medication," commented Stephen McMahon, CEO of the Irish Patients' Association.

He called on people to take their medication as advised and urged healthcare professionals to constantly ask their patients ‘have you taken your medicines today?'

The report was published by Pfizer Healthcare Ireland in association with the Irish Pharmacy Union and the Irish Patients' Association.