Patients stop meds for deeper reasons than forgetfulness, pharmacist says

Marcela Gottschald, a pharmacist and journalist, reflects on her early assumption that patients missed doses mainly because they forgot, were frustrated by side effects, or lacked understanding of their condition.

Through work in psychiatry, transplant medicine, cardiology and primary care she saw the same pattern: patients stopping antipsychotics, antidepressants or immunosuppressants often led to serious health setbacks.

When she probed further, patients disclosed more personal reasons once guilt and shame faded, showing that adherence issues run deeper than simple forgetfulness.