What is Medication Non-Adherence? Medication non-adherence is when a patient doesn’t take a medication, either willfully or inadvertently, as prescribed by their healthcare provider. Studies have shown that 50% of Canadians do not take their prescription medications exactly as prescribed. The reasons for this vary from a lack of information, to being afraid to take medication or believing it doesn’t work, to an inability to follow instructions that may be too complex. Each year, medication non-adherence results in many hospital admissions. Your pharmacist can help provide you with the information you need to make the right decisions about when and how to take your medications.