BALTIMORE, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Nearly three out of four Americans do not always take medication as directed, adding $290 billion per year to U.S. healthcare costs, federal officials say.
Surgeon General Regina Benjamin said patient medication non-adherence is a problem that causes more than one-third of medicine-related hospitalizations, nearly 125,000 U.S. deaths each year and adds $290 billion in avoidable costs to the healthcare system annually.