Info packets don't help people take ER meds

In a test of services geared toward making sure patients took their prescribed medications after leaving the emergency room, none made a difference, a large new study suggests. Based on the experiment involving nearly 4,000 ER patients, researchers found that information packets, personal assistance and even access to an on-call medical librarian to answer questions about the drugs did not lead patients to fill more prescriptions or to take them as directed when they left the hospital. There is a great deal of evidence that patients who don't follow medication regimens have worse health outcomes and end up spending more for healthcare in the long run, according to the study's lead author Dr. Melissa McCarthy.