In order to get some psychiatric patients to take their medication doctors are resorting to paying them. A trial involving 68 patients suffering from either bipolar or schizophrenia was carried out and the patients received £15 for every jab of anti-psychotic drug. If they take all of their medication they could potentially get £720 a year.
However there is opposition to this proposal; the charity, Mind feel that people should take the medication for health benefits not money.
Statististics show that patients not taking their medication is a big problem and increases relapse risk and NHS costs. It is estimated 33% of schizophrenics fail to take their prescribed medication. Professor Priebe, one of the experts conducting the study explains that they chose £15 as it is a small amount which they think will act as an incentive.
It is thought that patients who miss 1-10 days of oral anti-psychotic therapy are at greater risk of a patient being admitted to hospital, they say. The statistics show that this increase is nearly double that of a patient who never misses a day.
Whilst this concept seems like a good idea to an extent, it is not without it’s problems such as patients disregarding their well being in exchange for cash. Also although the drugs are only administered to those who need them it will put more financial strain on the NHS. If a patient refuses to take the oral medication that is their choice. As the saying goes you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
If a patient is incapable of taking the medication then measures should be taken to rectify this, but I don’t agree with paying somebody to take their medication.