Article at a glance:

Getting patients to take their medicine

• Patients who don't take their medications as prescribed add $100 billion to US health care costs every year.
• A McKinsey study of people with hypertension suggests that understanding the underlying attitudes of patients could improve their adherence to treatment regimens, thus saving both lives and money.
• Designing new programs will challenge pharmaceutical companies, physicians, and other public-health stakeholders to collaborate more closely.