(Photo: WBOC)OCEAN CITY, Md.- Ron Michaud of Ocean City is helping the United States Surgeon General with a new campaign. The campaign is called "Script Your Future." It is an initiative to help motivate people to take their medication properly.
Surgeon General Regina Benjamin and the National Consumers League launched the new campaign and website ScriptYourFuture.org on Wednesday, May 11.
Research shows that three out of four patients do not take their medication as they are instructed. Benjamin said the improper use of meds can lead to bad health, but it does not stop there. Benjamin said complications from improper use of medicine results in the U.S. health care system losing more than $290 billion a year.
Michaud, who takes over 20 pills a day for his health, participated on a panel for the Script Your Future campaign. Speaking from a patient's point of view, Michaud gave a public address on the importance of taking medications as prescribed.
"People not taking their medication [are] ending up in the hospital or emergency room or being there long-term because not taking their medication has created a problem," he said.
The Script Your Future program is very simple. Through free text message reminders, people will be able to access medication information and fact sheets.
