One in three patients does not take medication properly putting their health at risk and costing the NHS half a billion pounds every year Aston Medication Adherence Study analysed one million prescriptions People often put off by side-effects and not understanding instructions Certain groups more susceptible to a lack of adherence to guidelines Those whose primary language is Urdu and Bengali struggled as did over-60s One in three patients is putting their health at risk because they do not take their medication properly, costing the NHS an estimated £500 million every year. Fears about potential side-effects and poor understanding of doctors' instructions are partly responsible for the issue, according to a study. Researchers analysing one million prescriptions found that the absence of symptoms and a lack of trust in pharmacists also played a part in people deciding to stop taking their medication. Understanding: The Aston Medication Adherence Study analysed one million prescriptions and found that a number of factors, such as side effects and poor instructions from doctors, were responsible for people not taking medication properly The Aston Medication Adherence Study, is thought to be the first research project looking at adherence to medication in the UK. It found that certain ethnic groups are more likely to experience difficulties in understanding how to take medication. People whose primary language is Urdu or Bengali are particularly susceptible, as are those living in poorer inner-city areas. They found that people aged over 60 struggled with adherence to medication patterns. The study, carried out by researchers at Aston University's Pharmacy School, was centred on the Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust, looking at those suffering from type 2 diabetes, hypothyroidism and high cholesterol. Health bodies are facing increasing pressure to manage treatable, long-term conditions in an attempt to reduce hospital admissions. Findings: The study, carried out by researchers at Aston University¿s Pharmacy School, looked at those suffering from type 2 diabetes, hypothyroidism and high cholesterol The report recommended that healthcare systems should take account of a patient's first language and offer more advice to those taking medication for long-term conditions. Professor Chris Langley, principal investigator for the AMAS said: 'What is important about the AMAS is that it identifies adherence patterns within an ethnically diverse inner city area with high levels of deprivation; this is currently unchartered territory. The results from this study have provided an intriguing insight into adherence behaviour within an inner-city population, whilst the focus group data provided context and understanding of the barriers to adherence from the patients" perspective. Dr Joe Bush, investigator for the AMAS added: 'We identified numerous groups in which adherence levels were lower than in the general population, but it is not possible at this time to identify why adherence is lower in these groups. Whilst the focus groups suggested possible reasons for non-adherence, we hope to explore these issues further and identify the primary reasons for non-adherence in these patient groups in future research.