Borrowing Prescription Medication: Implications for Healthcare Warnings and Communications

Abstract

Objective. To determine whether prescription medication sharing, a common healthcare consumer behavior, leads to adverse outcomes, including inappropriate usage, delayed care, suboptimal patient-provider relationships, and exposure to side effects. Methods. Prevalence of medication loaning and borrowing and associated behaviors and consequences were assessed through one-on-one public approach surveys among 2773 individuals. Results. Borrowers are frequently bypassing instructions and warnings, are avoiding or delaying seeking care from health professionals, are not communicating their borrowing to their healthcare provider, and are experiencing allergic reactions or side effects when they borrow prescription medications. Conclusion. These results represent the first extensive assessment of prevalence of risk and risky behaviors associated with prescription medication borrowing and demonstrate that such borrowing affects patients' health and their healthcare experience. Efforts to increase awareness and mitigate risk appear merited.