{
  "id": 14913259,
  "title": "Opinion: I thought I knew why patients stopped taking their medicine. I was wrong",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/opinion-i-thought-i-knew-why-patients-stopped-taking-their-medicine-i",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-16T08:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "STAT News",
    "slug": "stat-news",
    "url": "https://www.statnews.com/2026/10/16/nonadherence-medication-stopped-identity-pharmacist-side-effects-prevent/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For years, clinical pharmacists have grappled with the challenge of why patients discontinue long-term medications, a problem that permeates various medical specialties. Initially, I believed the reasons were simple: patients forgot to take their medicine, became frustrated by side effects, or failed to comprehend their conditions. However, my clinical experience revealed that this explanation only scratched the surface of the issue.\n\nMy journey began in psychiatry, where I witnessed patients with schizophrenia develop psychotic episodes after discontinuing their antipsychotic medications. Those who abruptly stopped their antidepressants often endured withdrawal symptoms. Later, in a kidney transplant center, I encountered a strikingly similar situation. Patients who ceased taking one or more of their immunosuppressive drugs experienced acute rejection of their newly transplanted kidneys.\n\nThe pattern held true across other specialties as well. Colleagues in cardiology, primary care, and beyond recounted similar experiences, suggesting that the reasons behind medication non-adherence are far more complex than initially thought. As I delved deeper, I realized that understanding this phenomenon requires a multifaceted approach that goes beyond the obvious explanations.",
  "summary": "Patients can understand that medication is necessary and still struggle with what taking it means.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}