If you don’t follow the instructions for taking antibiotics correctly, they won’t work. However, many patients are prone to skipping dosages or taking too many at once.

Patients’ lives can interfere with their ability adhere to treatment plans in many cases. The most common mistake made by patients is to skip a dose. But those who fight their illness might not have the chance to take a midday dose. This can lead to some patients taking a double dose at the beginning of the day.

Patients may have different schedules that prevent them from taking their pills at regular times. One example is that a patient might not take their evening pill for 10 hours but have their morning and midday pills within three hours.

Patients must take antibiotics properly. This means that patients need to find ways to fit antibiotics into their busy schedules.

Convenience matters — patients will be less likely to follow their prescribed treatments if there are more pills to take per day. A 2001 peer review of 76 clinical studies was conducted by A. Claxton and J. Cramer. It found that 79 percent of patients followed once-daily regimens, while only 65 per cent of patients followed thrice-daily prescribed correctly.

Researchers are creating more once-daily antibiotics to make antibiotics easier. In January 2008, for example,

Moxatag was approved by the FDA (www.moxatag.comA once-daily antibiotic to treat strep. Moxatag tablets release amoxicillin slowly through the stomach. It is a member of the penicillin family. Patients may be more likely to comply with the once-daily dose.

Patients may also be able to develop strategies that help them remember their pills. Patients can also associate dosages with daily activities, such as brushing their teeth. This helps them remember to take their medication. Stickers and Post-Its placed on frequently-used items can help improve compliance.

Visit www.amazon.com for more information www.moxatag.com.

Important Safety Information

MOXATAG should not be used in patients with a history of severe hypersensitivity to amoxicillin and other drugs from the same class. Patients who have experienced anaphylactic reactions due to beta lactams or are known to have a history of serious hypersensitivity to amoxicillin is also contraindicated. Penicillin therapy has been associated with severe, sometimes fatal, hypersensitivity reactions (anaphylactic). MOXATAG should be stopped immediately if there is an allergic reaction and the appropriate therapy should be started. Clostridium difficile Associated Diarrhea (CDAD), which has been reported with almost all antibacterial drugs, including amoxicillin. It can range in severity from mild diarrhea, to severe colitis. MOXATAG should not be used if CDAD is suspected. It is important to remember that superinfections may occur with mycotic and bacterial pathogens. Superinfections should be treated immediately and MOXATAG should not be used again. In clinical trials, the most common drug-related adverse effects with MOXATAG were diarrhea (1.3%) (0.7%), nausea (1.3%) (1.0%) and vomiting (0.7%). See www.moxatag.comMoxatag safety information is available here. Moxatag has been approved for treatment of strep-thymia in patients aged 12 and over. Moxatag, a registered trademark of MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals, Inc. MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals, Inc. sponsored this article