Drug Test Spurs Frank Talk Between Hypertension Patients And Doctors – NPR

Research shows roughly half of patients don’t take their high blood pressure medicine as they should, even though heart disease is the leading cause of death in America.

A drug test is now available that can flag whether a patient is actually taking the prescribed medication. The screening, which requires a urine sample, is meant to spark a more truthful conversation between patient and doctor.

These conversations are important because doctors can try less expensive prescriptions if cost is the issue, or experiment with different kinds of drugs if side effects are the problem.

The screening could also help a patient avoid other unnecessary tests or additional prescriptions.

Read the full article or listen to the full broadcast at NPR